A Little Bit Of Comfort
by Wayra
Summary: Misaki thought that Li would be just the medicine she needed after a stressful day of work and the death of a friend. It seemed she had hit her mark. Slight MisakiLi
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **_I think it's so funny that I have to put this up here. xD Anyway, I don't own DTB or anything involving the show. If I did, I'd be rich right about now…which would be awesome.

This is my first DTB fic. I mainly just wrote it to see if I could. I might be writing another one in the future, but that's just a 'might.'

This fic is mainly about how Misaki really thought talking to Li in the restaurant scene of episode 23. I changed some of the dialogue and even added some to make it more interesting, so, don't kill me. xD

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**A Little Bit Of Comfort**

Misaki was shocked when she saw Li walking about with a frown glued on his face. Though she had seen him only a few times, she had developed a sort of crush on him. Who wouldn't? He was good looking, as well as kindhearted. To many girls, those were instantly traits for attraction. However, what had really drawn her to Li was how he could be a goof and yet a serious individual. It was odd, but not annoyingly so.

When she had invited him for dinner, she had not meant to say it so abruptly. The words just sort of spilled from her lips before she could stop them. She wanted to do something to take her thoughts away from November 11's death, and Li-kun happened to be what she chose. Li-kun had gladly accepted as she thought he would.

Misaki smiled, watching him eat. It was amazing how much he could devour within a five minute time period. _Prehaps I should not have let him get whatever he wanted_, she thought with a small sigh.

"Did I look that hungry?" Li asked, scarfing some teriyaki beef into his mouth with a speed that would make a snake look slow.

"Eh?" Misaki said, snapping out of her thoughts.

Li blinked slowly putting his chopsticks down. "Were you even listening to me, Misaki-san?"

Misaki's smile grew a bit wider. "No, sorry, Li-kun. My thoughts keep floating around. What was it you said?"

"Uh, did I look that hungry when you saw me?"

"Yes, a little," she admitted. There was no point in lying. He did look very hungry…as well as a bit down. However, he had changed his facial expression so quickly, that she wondered if he had really looked sad, or just thoughtful. "In all honesty, you remind me of someone."

Li's eyes widened slightly, almost making him look a bit comical. "I don't remind you of a criminal you're chasing after I hope."

Misaki stared at him, a bit shocked that he would instantly jump to that conclusion. She had said nothing of the sort, not to mention never showed any signs of thinking he was a criminal. Without meaning to, Misaki choked on some food that went down the wrong pipe during her temporary lapse of demeanor.

"So it's true after all?"

"N-No! Of course not," she said, laughing. Li could say things so innocently, that it was hard not to laugh. Fighting down more laugher from spilling forth, Misaki began to scoop food into her mouth. She probably looked much like a slob, but Li-kun didn't seem to mind her manners. After all, he ate just as horribly.

"Stay still," Li said, his voice instantly changing from somewhat timid, to serious. It was a bit frightening how quickly his whole demeanor changed with just those two words. Misaki glanced up at him, a nervous look crossing her face. What was wrong? "There's someone targeting you from the seat behind you."

Misaki's fear evaporated in less than a second with just one glance at Li's face. It was hard to take him seriously when he had a piece of rice glued to his face. Instantly she broke out into a fit of uncontained laughter. "That wasn't very good, Li-kun. You had absolutely no intensity at all!"

Li tilted his head, moving forward in his seat slightly. "Is that so? I wasn't intimidating at all?"

"Well…" Misaki trailed off, unable to stop herself from laughing.

Li reached towards his face and plucked a stray piece of rice off the corner of his lips. He frowned slightly, but when he looked back up at Misaki, a smile was back on his face.

"You know…it's weird," she said, changing the subject without really meaning to. The words just sort of came out before she could stop them...but for some reason, she was a bit relieved; relieved that she could talk honestly with Li and not have to worry.

Li reached for some more beef teriyaki, shoving it into his waiting mouth. "Hm?"

"When you start chasing a star," Misaki continued, "you sorta get attached to them."

"You seem quite enthusiastic about your job," Li said casually.

"Yes…but I do think I've been working a bit too hard. However…all of a sudden I've been swallowed by the organization to the point where it feels like I've lost a part of me." Misaki did not know why she admitted this to Li. It was not really any of his business how she felt working with the Tokyo police….but she felt like she was obliged to say something. There was just something about being near Li that made her calm.

Li's smile dropped a fraction. "All organizations are the same, Misaki-san. They use people for convenience…"

Though she would not say it aloud, Li's words had hit their mark. There was truth in them, so much so Misaki wondered if he had been in some type of organization. He seemed to know all about how they worked. She did not voice this, however. Some things were best left unsaid. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Uh...Li-kun, what were you up to earlier? You seemed like you were thinking about something."

Li shrugged. "Nothing in particular. I was just thinking if I want to stick to the part time job I just started."

Misaki did not have to be a rocket scientist to know that Li was lying, but she decided to go along. Li looked much too intense earlier to have been thinking about job troubles. There was something else bothering him…but whatever that was would never be said…at least for now. "You should quit if it's giving you such a hard time."

Li smiled faintly, putting his plate in his pile of dirty dishes that had accumulated. "I suppose I should. There's no future in that business for me. I'll always be stuck doing clean up duty."

Misaki nodded. "That's why you should try and find a job that you really like, Li-kun. You shouldn't do jobs that you think are a waste of time."

"Yes…you're right, Misaki-san."

"Hmm…" Misaki leaned back in her chair. "Why not join the police force?"

Li coughed. "T-The police force? Me? I don't know..."

Misaki nodded, and returned to her food. There was much about Li-kun she wanted to know more about, but for now she would take it a bit slow. After all, what was the rush? laughed. "Never mind then. You don't look like police material."

Li nodded, looking a bit relieved. "Yes, you're right. Police work isn't something I think I could ever get into."

"Well…there's many jobs out there for you to choose, Li-kun. I mean, you're young, so…well, try a bit of everything. Eventually you'll find that job that just says 'you.'"

Li's face broke out into another one of his charming smiles. "Thank you, Misaki-san."

Misaki blushed furiously, and looked away slightly. They had the whole night to talk to each other. So far, Li had made her feel so much better, and from just being around him for thirty minutes. _No, thank you, Li-kun_, she thought happily, unable to stop herself from smiling.

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_**Author note: **_Well, this was interesting to write. I never thought I'd be doing a DTB fic, especially since it's a bit difficult to do. However, it was fun writing this, even though it was short. xD Besides, there honestly needs to be more DTB fanfics. 


	2. Chapter 2

Misaki sighed, feeling completely overloaded with work. It was almost as if everyday a foreign Contractor was causing trouble. The higher ups in the police force were not being much help either. They all issued orders, and nothing more. It was almost as if they did not care if they were overworking their people. Misaki grinded her teeth in rage.

"Oi, Misaki-san!"

She sighed, lifting her head. What was it now?

Saitou waved at her with a small grin on his face.

"What is it, Saitou-san?" Misaki asked, looking at the paperwork on her desk with a grimace. There was no way she was going to get this done today…

"Well, Kouno-san and I are going out for lunch and well…we were wondering if you wouldn't mind coming too."

Misaki smiled slightly. Saitou was always asking her the same thing all the time, and she always said the same answer. "No thank you, Saitou-san. I do appreciate you asking though."

Saitou looked a bit crestfallen, but nodded sullenly. "Well…if you change your mind, just call us, ok?" He looked up, a hopeful expression crossing his face.

"I will, Saitou-san." She wouldn't. She never did.

Saitou nodded again, bowing politely, and walking away without another word.

Misaki watched him a bit sadly before turning back to her work. She was hungry, but her stomach would just have to wait.

_BK-201…_ she thought, nibbling on the end of a pen. Who was he? Better yet, where had he come from? Was he working with someone or was he working alone? There were so many questions surrounding this mysterious Contractor, that she honestly felt she would never find anything out.

_Didn't Li-kun appear when BK-201 did? No...could it be?_ Misaki looked up at the ceiling in deep thought, but then burst into a fit of laughter. Li-kun as BK-201? Impossible. He was just too sweet to be a murderer. Yesterday he had been horrible at even attempting to be intimidating. BK-201 didn't need much effort to terrify her…but she had to admit there was something familiar about him, something she just could not quite put her finger on.

"Why do I keep putting those two in the same category? It just does not make any sense."

"Eh? Did you say something, Misaki-san?" a young woman with light brown hair asked, lifting her head from her desk.

"Oh ignore me; I was just thinking about something, Jun-san."

Jun blinked, a small mischievous look crossing her face. "Are you thinking about someone?"

"N-No! Of course not!"

"Are you sure? You've been smiling a lot lately. Keep that up and you'll make Saitou-san jealous." She snickered, stacking some papers on her desk.

Misaki blushed furiously. "Jun-san! That is highly inappropriate! Saitou-san and I are only fellow co-workers. There is nothing going on between us."

"Pssh, tell that to him," she whispered, picking up a blunt pencil and trying to sharpen with her nails…without much avail.

"What? What do you mean by that?"

"Eh? What?"

"Don't try and pretend like you don't hear me, Jun-san!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You're making a scene, Misaki-san."

Misaki tensed, slowly looking around. People were lifting their heads from their stacks of papers, watching the two of them with undisguised curiosity.

"Jun-san..." Misaki pouted, fighting back another blush.

"Oi, don't give me that look. You were the one yelling."

"But you were the one who brought it up."

"So I was." Jun smiled, throwing her pencil over her head, almost hitting an innocent bystander. She yawned, knocking papers off her desk until she eventually found what she desired; a pen.

"You're so unorganized."

"HAH! I see what you're trying to do!"

Misaki's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"You're trying to change the subject! Not a chance, Misaki-san! I'm on to your trickery you…you…kitsune!"

"W-What are you talking? Are you feeling well?"

Jun laughed, receiving more curious glances in her direction than before. Misaki covered her face with a manila folder. This was so embarrassing. Why couldn't Jun save her eccentricities for another day?

"Soooo, who's that one guy I saw you with yesterday. You seemed pretty happy talking to him."

"WHAT?!" Misaki jumped up, knocking stacks of her well organized paper on the floor.

"There's no need to lie. I saw everything."

"You…you couldn't have…"

"Oh I have my sources." Jun beamed.

"You conniving---you're the one who's the kitsune!" Misaki pointed a finger at Jun for emphasis.

"Me?! Nonsense! My goodness you should calm down. Everyone's watching now."

"B-But…" Misaki slowly sank back into her seat, looking around once again. "There's nothing going on here, people. Jun-san is just sprouting nonsense…again."

Jun waved at everyone in the room, smiling, and then returned to writing her report. "So, how do you feel about him?"

"I…well…there's nothing going on. We're just friends."

"Oooh…just friends?" Jun's smile widened wickedly.

Misaki blushed furiously. Why was it Jun was the only one who could ruffle her feathers like this? Childhood friends could be such a pain. "What's going through that twisted head of yours?"

"Nothing, nothing." Jun waved a hand. "It's just that…well, you seemed a bit keen on him, if I may add. Are you afraid of getting in a relationship?"

"There is NOTHING going on," Misaki hissed, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Are you just trying to convince yourself of that?"

"It's…we're…he's…" Misaki sighed. What were they? They weren't a couple…though she would like that in all honesty. They were friends? No…there was something beyond that. So…what were they?

"I'll leave you alone, Misaki-san. I'm taking a break now. You should too. It IS lunch time after all." Jun stood up and stretched. "Don't be so high-strung. Live a little. You're still young, so act like it." With a wink, Jun grabbed her jacket and left her office area. It was still an absolute mess and would probably continue to be that way even when she got back.

"Live a little, huh?" Misaki whispered, taking out her cell phone and dialing a number. It rang a few times before she heard a familiar voice.

"Moshi, moshi?"

"Hello…Saitou-san. I've decided to go and eat with you and Kouno-san. I…I hope I'm not being a bother." She could hear Saitou talking excitedly with Kouno in the background with Kouno adding a few comments here and there such as "finally!" or "It's about time we got her!"

"I'll be waiting outside for you to pick me up…if well, that's not a problem."

"O-Of course not! We'll be there in a second! Shut up, Kouno!" With that last statement said, Saitou hung up.

Misaki leaned against her desk, staring up at the ceiling. "Live a little…I guess I haven't been doing that lately. Even Li-kun noticed…" She smiled at the thought of Li. Why was it thinking about him made her smile?

Misaki shook her head, and grabbed her coat. She had a whole day, so why not enjoy it?

**A/N:** You know, I was not planning on making another chapter, but well…everyone seemed to want that so…well…here it is. xD Jun is a random character that just sorta got put in there. Though she was not intended, I must say that I do like her.

Anyway, this is for all those people who reviewed and didn't review! I love you guys! xD


	3. Chapter 3

_**Reply Review Corner:**_

_For the mysterious unsigned individuals…_

**Arturi – **LoL. Your name is so long. Sorry for being lazy and not writing it all out. Anyway, w00t! Hurray for the Misaki – Li lovers! You know…when you combine their names it makes a neat new one...**-has way too much free time for her own good-** xD

**Vanehei – **I might as well continue since I've already got things basically planned out. If I don't get the idea out my head now, it's going to be the only thing I can think of.

**Nina P. – **LOL. I didn't think everyone would like it so much. Besides, it was just a first fic for the fandom. I was not really planning on working on DTB for like another month, but it's my current anime obsession so I was like, why not get started on it now?

**Dark – **Ok. Um…that's all I can really say. xD

Anyway, onwards! **–points towards the horizon-**

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It was during lunch with Saitou and Kouno that she received a dispatcher call to an apartment complex in the Shinjuku district. She was annoyed that her day had to be ruined by this, and at the very moment she was starting to enjoy herself in the company of her two fellow co-workers and friends, but her job came before her happiness…or at least that's how she liked to see things. Sometimes she had to give up something she liked in order to make Tokyo a better place.

At first, she thought that she was only being dispatched for a murder case, but it soon turned out to be much deeper than that. As soon as she arrived at her destination she knew it was not going to be an everyday murder.

"Kirihara-san…you may want to cover your nose with something," a fellow officer whose name escaped her at the moment, said kindly. "It's not looking good in there."

"Uh…yes…of course." Misaki took out a handkerchief and stepped inside the room along with Saitou and Kouno. Even through the thick fabric of her handkerchief the smell of dry and fresh blood was sickening. She could hear Saitou gag beside her and Kouno curse loudly.

"Oh my God…who could have done something like this?" Kouno mumbled, looking around with an expression of utter disgust on his handsome young face.

"An angry Contractor it would seem…" Misaki replied, trying not to look at the sight of crushed bodies strewn around the room. It looked like these people had been murdered during a get together…but why?

"I thought Contractors mainly attack at night," Saitou said, stepping towards the door in an effort to get away from the carnage.

"I used to think so too. This Contractor must be very confident in himself if he's killing in broad daylight," Kouno replied.

"No…this blood looks a bit old doesn't it? It's almost completely dry," Misaki whispered softly as she stepped towards a puddle of blood on the floor. These people had been murdered last night, or even the day before. That was probably why the decaying smell was festering to an extreme odor. This death had to have been later…

Misaki sighed, promptly moving away from the blood. She wanted to look somewhere else…but the whole room was splattered with blood. It…it wasn't normal at all. People did not have that much blood in them…did they? She fought back bile that threatened to rise in her throat.

"We need to have the forensics look into this. Without that, we can't really gather much on the time of the murder," she said.

"Y-Yes you're right…but if a Contractor had attacked someone yesterday, then wouldn't their star have sparkled or something?" Kouno said a bit quietly. Misaki knew he was fighting the urge to run out the room. After all, she was fighting just as hard.

"Hmm…you do have a point, Kouno-san. We'll talk about this outside in some fresh air. I can't think properly in here."

Saitou and Kouno did not need much prodding. Without another word, the two of them quickly stepped out of the room, gagging and sucking in as much fresh air as they could. Misaki followed suit, doing the same thing, though she tried to act with a little bit more self-control. She was their leader after all. She was supposed to be tough. She had seen worse then this…

_Who am I kidding? _

She shook her head. That was the worse thing she had ever seen. Death was not new to her…but…

"Kirihara-san…are you all right?" the police officer from before asked. This time, Misaki took a quick glance at his name tag.

"Yes, I'm fine, Hiroshi-san."

Hiroshi looked a bit uncertain, but nodded. "What are your orders?"

"Send for the forensic team to look into this. My people are going to go and see if a Contractor was involved."

Hiroshi saluted, running off to shout orders to his men.

"Oi, Chief…do you honestly think a Contractor did this? Like…well, maybe BK-201?" Kouno asked, rubbing his nose and scooting away from the half-way open apartment door.

"No…BK-201 doesn't kill like this. From what forensics had gathered about his killing style is that he uses knives, electricity, and wires. This looks…well…I can't even describe it. The marks on the bodies were clearly made by knives, but…"

"But the skill was out of this world. Whoever killed them knew exactly where to cut and how. And the way the bones were crushed…" Saitou answered for her, shivering slightly. "All of this isn't sitting right on my stomach…especially since we just got done eating lunch."

"Tell me about…" Kouno mumbled, rubbing his nose.

Misaki sighed. "Let's ask a few people around here if they heard anything peculiar lately. I think that's the only way we can gather information at this time."

"Hey Chief, should I call Matsumoto-san?" Kouno was already reaching for his cell phone, flipping it open.

"No…leave him alone for now. He's been working too hard."

"Oi…he's going to complain."

"I know, I know. He'll understand eventually."

Kouno looked at Saitou and shrugged.

Misaki made Kouno and Saitou head off in different directions, ordering them to keep their phones on in case of an emergency. Though she was sure nothing would happen, she wanted to be safe. She may have been perhaps a little too paranoid…but today's events made her a little shaky.

When she was sure that her men had wandered off to their designated areas, Misaki walked up to the door next to the horrible carnage. She was sure the police might have questioned whoever stayed inside, but she wanted to hear from that individual herself. Those police officers might have overlooked certain things. It never hurt to have a second opinion.

She took a deep breath, knocking firmly on the door. It only took a minute of waiting before a girl with short black hair answered the door.

"C-Can I help you?"

"Hello, I'm Misaki Kirihara of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs." She took out her police badge to show she was not lying. "I just wanted to ask your parents a few questions."

The girl looked a bit nervous as if she had committed a crime of some sort and was petrified that that police would find out. Of course that was not the case. This girl looked as if she was just a bit shocked that a police officer would come to her door. "My parents aren't home right now."

Misaki blinked. This girl was left alone? And when a murder had just happened right next door? Something didn't seem right…

"May I ask how old are you?"

The girl hesitated for a bit. "Fifteen."

"Hmm…I see. Well then, do you mind answering some questions for me? It won't take long."

"Um…a-all right…"

"Did you hear any strange noises today, or yesterday for that matter? Preferably during late hours."

The girl stared at the floor, a deep thoughtful expression appearing on her face. "Um…I did hear arguing."

Misaki raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Uh…y-yes. But those two always argue. Erm…they had some friends over, and it seemed they were talking about something heated. I didn't understand what they were saying though. They were speaking in English..."

This information piped Misaki's interest. "Do you remember the names of the people that lived here?"

"Of course. Umm…they were foreigners from America I think. Uh…Marina and Alexander were their names. They knew Japanese very well. You could have long conversations with them, and know that their Japanese was top-notch. I…I thought it was an interesting experience, though I only spoke to them twice, and those were mainly accidental meetings."

"How long have they been here?"

"Not too long," the girl slowly inched out of her apartment, seemingly at ease now that she saw she was not in any kind of trouble. "They came about a week ago."

"Hmm….I see. When did you hear this arguing?"

"Uh…three days ago."

"Three days ago?!" Misaki said aloud without meaning to. Three days?! How could no one notice this within those three days? She must have looked absolutely distraught, because the girl gave her a bit more information.

"If…If it helps the two of them were known for being apartment hoppers. Some of my friends from school used to talk about them for a while. We all thought they were spies or something because they never stayed in one apartment too long, or that they were foreign hit men hired by the Yakuza. You see, they never really had a lot of things in their house. It was almost as if they were scared of something…"

"What do you mean?" Misaki narrowed her eyes. They were running from something? Who? Or what for that matter? Talking to this girl was making her get more questions than answers.

"They always had their blinds shut tight. I used to think they were vampires at one time." The girl chuckled, shaking her head. "But I guess they were involved in shady activity…" she looked past Misaki, sadness shining in her honey brown eyes. "I didn't really know them well…but I can't help but feel sorry for them."

Misaki pat the girl gently on the shoulder and smiled. "Do you know anything else?"

"No." The girl sighed. "I'm sorry for not being much help."

"It's all right. You were more than enough assistance to our case. Oh, I never asked your name. I feel silly for forgetting that."

"Hm? Oh! My name is Chihiro. Chihiro Takada. Um…it's nice to meet you, Kirihana-san." She bowed politely.

"Same here. Oh, one more question, Chirhiro."

"Yes?"

"Where are your parents? Did they not hear about this murder?"

"No, they went off to work earlier this morning. I didn't even know there was a murder next door until I saw police cars everywhere. I was sorta scared really, so I didn't answer the door when they knocked…"

Misaki nodded in understanding. "I'm sure you were. Thank you so much, Chihiro. You have helped us get one step closer to finding this killer. Now then, don't open this door for anyone else, all right? Only if it's your parents or the police."

"Don't worry, I understand." Chihiro beamed before stepping back in her room and firmly closing the door.

As soon as she was gone, Misaki's smile evaporated and she picked up the phone dialing Kouno. She did not have to wait long before the young man answered. "Moshi, moshi?"

"Kouno-san, what information did you gather?"

"None. It seems no one heard any noise such as a skirmish or anything. They were shocked to hear that the two new apartment members had been killed."

Peculiar…very peculiar. Was there such thing as a Contractor who could kill without anyone knowing? She had never heard of such a thing, but anything could be possible now. "All right, meet up with me where we came in."

"Roger." With a click, their conversation was over.

_One more number to go… _Misaki thought, dialing Saitou's number. Just as quickly as Kouno answered the phone, Saitou was right on it.

"Is something wrong, Chief?" he asked, sounding a bit alarmed.

"N-No, relax, Saitou-san. I'm fine." Misaki tried to keep amusement from leaking into her voice. Saitou was such a worrier.

"Oh…well that's good…" She heard him sigh with relief.

"Find out anything?"

"No. The people I talked to had no idea anything happened."

Misaki was silent, the phone dropping from her hand a little. What was going on?

"Chief? Chief, are you all right?"

Snapping out of her chaotic thoughts, she returned to her conversation. "Yes, I'm fine; a little frustrated though."

"Oh, well…what should we do? There's not much else we can go on right now. There's no leads or anything. It's like all the valuable evidence disappeared."

"Yes, that's what I was thinking." Misaki sighed. "Meet me back at the front. We're going to head back to the station until the forensic team has gathered a little bit more info on this murder. I have a little information I got from someone who lives next door. It's not much, but it's something."

"Well that's good. We're not completely in the dark then. Anyway, I'll meet you in a second, Chief." The familiar click of a phone hanging up greeted her ears.

Misaki sighed, looking up at the sky. Why did these things always have to happen on her happy days? All she wanted to do was relax, and now that was completely ruined.

_So much for living a little… _she thought bitterly.

As soon as Kouno and Saitou returned, Misaki had called her friend, Mayu Otsuka. If there was peculiar star activity, she would know. However…if there had been anything odd happening, wouldn't she have called? Even if she was wrong, Misaki decided to give it a shot. Better safe than sorry.

"Moshi, moshi?" Mayu said from the other line. She sounded a bit tired, if not agitated.

"It's me, Misaki. I was just calling to ask if a star has been causing trouble anytime this week."

Mayu sighed as if she had already been asked this question. "No. The stars have been the same as they usually are. None have shown any signs of glowing."

"B-But that can't be…" Misaki looked over at Saitou and Kouno who were busy whispering to each other about who knows what. She honestly wished they would be a bit more professional sometimes…

"Misaki, nothing happened, nothing at all."

"BK-201 has not done anything?"

"No. He's been good lately. Amazing isn't it?" Mayu chuckled. "Misaki, you shouldn't keep thinking about that guy. He sounds like he's becoming an obsession."

"H-He's not!" Saitou and Kouno glanced at her curiously, making her blush as she turned her head away and looked elsewhere. "He's not, Mayu."

"All right, all right. I won't push this. I'm too tired to argue with you anyway."

If BK-201 has not done anything for this whole week, then who could have done this? Something was completely and utterly wrong…but what? "Mayu, today there was a murder at a local apartment complex. The murderer seemed to have abilities that were beyond human in how he or she killed."

"How was this murder done?" Mayu replied curiously. Good, Misaki completely caught her attention this time.

"Well, they were killed in a similar fashion to BK-201."

"How odd…" There was a faint whisper of confusion to Mayu's tone; something Misaki was somewhat used to hearing. There were many things about the stars that were confusing---but BK-201 was the most confusing of them all.

"Misaki, please be careful. I'm going to try and see if perhaps we have overlooked something, but I seriously doubt it."

"All right. Thank you, Mayu. You're a real friend."

Mayu laughed. "Yeah, yeah, get back to work you lazy bum."

Misaki smiled, hanging up first. Quickly forcing her smile away, she looked at her fellow co-workers. They were watching her intently now, as if she had the answers to every question that the universe had to offer.

"She doesn't know anything. There has been no star activity this whole week."

The two officer's mouths opened slightly, shock flashing across their faces like electricity.

"She doesn't know ANYTHING?" Kouno said incredulously.

Misaki sighed. "That's right, she doesn't know anything."

"This sounds really weird, Chief…"

"I know, Kouno. I know…"

Misaki looked up at the sky, frowning when she felt a drop of water fall on her face. It was going to rain soon. Oddly enough the weather was starting to fit her mood. Today was hardly a wonderful day.

"Hey, don't worry, Chief. I'm sure things will get better right? If we go wait a while, maybe we'll more leads on this." Saitou smiled, patting her gently on the shoulder. He was right. If Misaki just went and sat down for a while, then things would work out…right? Out of all the cases she had done thus far, this had to be the most peculiar.

"Yes. Let's go with my original plan and head back to the base. We'll brainstorm over there."

"Yes, ma'am!" the two officers shouted throwing her a salute.

Misaki glanced up at the sky one more time before following the two to their car. If only she knew her day was going to get worse with the weather.

* * *

**A/N : **Poor Misaki. I swear I'm cruel to her. Who do you think did the killings hmm? –nudge, nudge-It could be someone you know, but then again it might not. xD Muhaha, I'm so mean. You guys will have to wait a while for the next update. I would like to get at least three chapters done of this before posting again. I guess perhaps by Thursday or Friday. For now, I need a little R&R **– gets a sleeping bag-**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Review Reply Corner:_**

_For the mysterious unsigned idividuals..._

**Smirn - **Muhaha! Here's the update. xD

**Dark - **Aww, thank you!

**Vanhei - **Thank you so much for the compliment! I'll try my best to make this fanfic as interesting as possible!

* * *

Misaki and her team had barely made it back to the station before she received a call from Sakeda Akira, head of the forensic team. The man seemed a thrilled when he told Misaki about what his team had discovered, but she could tell that he was also extremely anxious. The information he was going to tell her was going to be much more disturbing than she could have hoped. 

"What are you two saying?!" Kouno and Saitou screamed at the same time, leaning over their seats to stare smack dab in Misaki's face.

"Shh! Calm down you two!" Misaki admonished, waving them away. "I'm still talking."

The two men blushed and nodded in embarrassment, sitting back in their seats and fixing their seatbelts.

Sakeda was about to speak again, before someone began talking to him in the background. Misaki could hardly hear the conversation, but she heard enough to know what was going on. There was something about the bodies that terrified them, but made them excited at the same time. Whatever it was, she was sure she probably would not want to know.

"Kirihara-san, we have new information! It's…it's well…amazing really."

"What is it?"

"Some of the bodies have teeth marks on what's left of some of their necks, like a large dog had mauled them."

"WHAT?!" Misaki shouted, causing both Saitou and Kouno to jump and peer over their seats with unabashed curiosity again. "How could a dog have done that?"

"The incisor marks appear to be canine teeth, but we can't be one hundred percent sure until we have run a test over the bodies."

"Oh my God…" she whispered, shaking her head.

"What's even more shocking is the fact that the bodies are missing certain organs. One of them, a young lady, is missing a heart. It seems to have been torn out, and yet we cannot figure out how. A knife could not have cut it out as cleanly as that, nor could a dog have done it. After all, the body was completely intact. There was no sign of being torn open. It's...it's a scientific mystery."

"What about the knife marks?"

"Those knife marks were caused by someone moving awfully quick I can tell you that much. Whoever attacked them was in a hurry. What's odd is how they could have caused so much carnage, and how could they crush some of the bodies? You'd have to be pretty strong considering bones are quite durable. It takes a lot of power to do that. Now then, if the bones had been old, it would have been quite easy…"

"Is…is that all, Akira-san?" Misaki did not want to hear anymore. This was just too much information. She was already still sick from earlier, and now that he was describing the carnage of the room so vividly, she felt like she was standing near that horrific scene once again.

"Yes, that's all for now. If we discover anything else, we'll be sure to contact you."

"Thank you…" Misaki closed her phone, staring at it vacantly. This case was a mystery. Every time she got more information, it just wouldn't add up. It was just confusing her even more.

"Chief…" Kouno whispered, watching her carefully.

"Hm? Oh, sorry you two. I was just thinking."

"What did they say?" Kouno asked, turning so he was completely facing her.

"Um…t-they…" she coughed, trying to stop herself from stuttering. This had affected her more than she had ever dreamed possible. "They said that the bodies were mauled by a dog."

"A dog?! Are you sure, Chief?" Saitou asked staring out the side of his window through the rearview mirror.

"Yes…a dog."

"They can't say that a DOG did all that!" Kouno shouted, glaring at nothing in particular.

"No, that's not all. Some of the bodies are missing organs. Akira-san said that they were torn out, but he said it was not by a knife. They…were not even opened. Their organs were just gone."

Kouno and Saitou were silent, a feeling of dread filling the small police car. It was stifling really. Misaki wanted to be strong for her team as well as for herself, so she put on a professional façade. However, if she could, she would most definitely be opening a window or even jumping out the car right about now.

"What. The. Hell." Kouno shook his head, turning so he was sitting back in front on the steering wheel, his eyes glued on something in front of him. "What is going on?"

"I honestly wish I knew…"

* * *

The case was not really going any further for the time being. The forensic team wanted to continue examining the bodies…though Misaki could not understand what their morbid fascination with them were. So for now, she was stuck in a rut. She wanted to leave her office and go out for a bit, but she was already behind on doing her report on other cases because of her lunch break earlier. Though she did not blame Jun for her advice, she did wish that perhaps she could have left her alone for a bit before bringing it up. 

"Are you all right, Misaki?" Jun asked, sitting the files Misaki had asked for on her desk.

"Yes I'm fine…" She sighed, grabbing a cup of coffee and taking a gentle sip.

"Liar."

"I'm not lying," Misaki replied, trying to ignore Jun's presence as she searched for her missing pen.

Jun rolled her eyes, bending down and picking the pen off the floor, sitting it down on her desk. "Thank you."

"No problem," she replied, crossing her arms. "You need a break. This case has you all worked up. I've never seen you so upset before."

"I…It's nothing really."

"Uh huh, sure. Take a break, Misaki."

"But---."

"I don't want to hear your excuses," Jun hissed, leaning forward a little. "If you're too upset to work properly then you shouldn't be working at all. Take a break. If there's an update on anything involving this case, I'll be sure to call you, all right?" Jun's eyes softened slightly.

Misaki knew she had lost this battle. Jun was as stubborn as a mule when it came to things like this. She was like the mother hen who would just keep pecking you until you got into a neat little line with the other chicks.

"Well…all right, but just this once…"

Jun beamed. "Good. Now then, get going. I'll hold off your men so they don't go looking for you. It won't be too much of a problem." She flexed her small muscles and chuckled.

Misaki forced a smile, and stood up. "Thank you, Jun."

"No problem. What are friends for right?"

With one more glance at Jun, Misaki bowed, grabbed her umbrella, and quickly left the room. She was sure that all she needed was to take a little walk. That would clear her head so when she came back, she was back into professional mode. Yes, that's all she needed…

* * *

Her walk was aimless; completely without any sort of destination in mind. It was starting to become quite cold due to the rain that was falling in a gentle drizzle, but Misaki ignored it. Right now, her mind was on other thing; her case. A long time ago, Misaki had heard rumors about underground crime syndicates that tested muscle enhancing drugs on some of their members giving them inhuman strength and agility, but that was just a rumor. However, she was starting to wonder if perhaps, just perhaps, that rumor might have had some fact in it. After all, human experimentation has been going on for a very, very long time. 

_Are drugs like that even real? _She thought, avoiding a large puddle of water she almost stepped into. _Muscle drugs like that could cut the humans life short if it worked, right? But I guess they would be productive during that time…_

She did not have a chance to really linger on this before a soft drizzle of rain became a torrent. Misaki ran into the nearest store she could think of. She didn't care what the stores name was. All she wanted to do was get out of the freezing waterfall of rain.

She sighed with relief, closing her umbrella and shivering slightly. She had ran into a ramen restaurant it seemed. Misaki could smell the strong aroma drifting over her, enticing her to buy some. But every time the thought came, she would shake it away, seeing those horribly disfigured bodies in her head.

"You're STILL hungry, Li-kun? My goodness you sure can pack 'em can't you?" the chef at the counter said, laughing jovially at his own words.

Wait…did he say Li-kun? Misaki looked around, her eyes instantly falling on a familiar figure hunched over an empty bowl. How could she have not noticed the stacked up plates surrounding him when she came in? He was dressed in a green jacket, which was probably why she did not look his way…but the food was a dead giveaway.

"Yes. I haven't eaten at all today. My job has been keeping me pretty busy."

"Yeah, you do look more tired than usual. If all that work is making you eat like this, then you really need to find another job," the chef mumbled, grabbing a spoonful of noodles and shoving them in a bowl. Without any prompting, Li leaned over his table, grabbing the bowl and continuing devouring the poor noodles. "Of course you're not going to listen to me. This is like my fifth time telling you this."

Misaki tried her best not to be rude when she gently called Li's name. "Li –kun…"

Li stopped instantly, looking around slowly before his eyes landed on her. Misaki smiled and waved.

"Oi, Misaki-san! You look wet."

"Yes, it's raining horribly outside," she answered, walking over to the table. "Um…do you mind if I sit here, Li-kun?"

Li shook his head, moving some of the empty noodle bowls out of the way so Misaki had more table room.

Misaki sighed, clasping her hands together and examining the mountain of empty bowls Li had accumulated. How could anyone eat like this? "Li-kun, don't you ever---?" She stopped, jumping when she felt warmth envelope her body like an embrace. "L-Li-kun?"

Li walked back to his seat, jacketless now. He had moved so quickly, that she did not even know that he had moved. "Hm? You just looked so cold I…well…"

Misaki blushed furiously, forcing herself to look away. Li had given her his jacket...which was beyond sweet in her mind. It was well, cute really, and very gentlemanly.

"Did I offend you, Misaki-san? If so, I'm very---."

"N-No, of course not, Li-kun! Thank you…that was very kind of you."

Li smiled gently. "Are you hungry?"

"No…there's a lot on my mind right now. Eating would make me sick."

Li blinked, tilting his head in confusion. He looked so adorable. _NO! Stop thinking like this, Misaki! He's just a friend, nothing more!_

"What's wrong?" he asked kindly, his voice becoming soothing to her ears. How was it Li could make her feel so…happy? She had felt so downright miserable a few minutes ago, and now…well, now she just felt warm.

"Well…it's confidential…"

"Oh, I see. So it involves work then?"

"Yes…" she looked away slightly, wishing there was a window nearby so she could watch the rain.

"Well…if it's something I'm not supposed to know, then…" he trailed off, returning to his noodles.

Should she tell him about the case? It wouldn't hurt would it? Yes it was unprofessional, but she truly trusted Li. There was no way he could have been involved in the murder anyway. Besides, what happened would eventually get leaked to the public by the media…

"Li-kun, if I tell you this, will you promise not to tell anyone what I told you?"

Li seemed a bit taken aback, but nodded nevertheless.

"Well…" Misaki cleared her throat, looking over her shoulder to ensure that the head chef at the counter didn't overhear. However, the man had disappeared, issuing orders to the other chefs. They were probably making more noodles for Li. How he paid for all this food was a mystery to Misaki. This was probably why he had so many part-time jobs. "Um…earlier I was called in to check out a case in an apartment complex in Shinjuku. You know where that is right, Li-kun?" She hopped she did not come across as offensive.

Li nodded. "Yes, I've been there once for a job."

"Good. Well, at this apartment complex, I saw the most bizarre murder I had ever seen. It was…well…out of this world."

Li raised an inquisitive brow. "Really? Was it that peculiar?"

"Yes, very much so. This murder involved the death of two strange foreigners by the name of Marina and Alexander. Apparently these two were known for apartment hopping…and well, I guess they had gotten in with the wrong crowd…"

"Hmm...interesting…" Li's eyes landed elsewhere, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face. He almost looked like a detective thinking of solutions to a case. Misaki was beginning to wonder if perhaps Li-kun would have been an interesting law enforcer…

"Yes, but that's not the interesting part, Li-kun. What's interesting is the way these people were killed."

Li slowly put down his chopsticks, moving his bowl of noodles away.

"Uh…they were…" Misaki coughed; a bit uncomfortable bringing this up again. "Um, they were killed in a way that baffled even our forensics. They had cut marks on their bodies from a knife of sorts, but the cuts were not deep enough to leave blood splattered all over the residence. The carnage was out of this world. To top it off, some of the bodies had been crushed, as well as mauled like by a dog…"

Li's eyes widened slightly then narrowed into something that almost looked calculating. Misaki had never seen such a thoughtful look on his face before. In all honesty, it was rather intimidating. His blue eyes that had been warm a minute ago had seemed to freeze over. "Li-kun…any ideas one what you think happened?"

Li smiled sadly, shaking his head. His calculating look disappearing so quickly, that Misaki honestly wondered if that was what she had seen. "Sorry, Misaki-san. I was never really good at things like this."

"Oh, it's all right. I'm glad I had a chance to get that off my chest with someone besides my fellow co-workers." Misaki sighed, leaning back in her chair until she was slouching. She felt old right now. Her back was aching as well as her feet. She had been standing almost all day. Why her back was hurting? She had no idea. Perhaps it was stress related.

Misaki blushed when Li put his hand on top of hers on the table. He seemed to be trying to comfort her by showing he had sympathy for her plight without words. Strangely enough, that was all she really needed.

"Misaki-san, don't stress yourself over this. The answers you want will come eventually. Don't worry."

"Thank you, Li-kun. You're a really nice person."

Li smiled sadly once again. His eyes softened, and at the moment, he looked so tired. She supposed she knew why. He worked too much. Despite her warnings to get a decent paying job that did not involve crazy hours of the day, or labor of any kind, it seemed Li was content earning a minimum wage.

Misaki opened her mouth to say something else, but her phone suddenly started ringing. She felt a bit disappointed when Li moved his hand away, but did not show it as she reached for her phone and flipped it open. "Moshi, moshi?"

"Misaki, it's me, Jun. I got some neat info for you."

"What is it?" she said, unable to be anxiety out of her voice.

"The forensics were able to do a background check on those two foreigners and found out they used to work for PANDORA. Why they quit is beyond me."

"You're allowed to quit?"

"Apparently so. However, you have to do a vow that you won't tell anyone anything about what goes on in the HQ. I'm thinking PANDORA threatens them somehow. There's no way people are just going to waltz on out without spreading some info."

Misaki blinked. That made sense. PANDORA wasn't fooling anyone. "But why were those people killed?" she whispered, dropping her voice a little.

"Who knows? Apparently those two must have been planning on giving out information when they had company over. Now who killed them is where the mystery begins."

"Do you think _they_ did it?" Misaki asked, putting an emphasis on 'they.' She hoped Jun knew what she was talking about.

Jun caught on rather quickly. "No. It would cause a major political scandal. It's too messy in other words. PANDORA would get shut down in no time for such an illicit activity."

Misaki sighed, trying to get comfortable in her chair. "Jun, this is just making me more confused."

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry. But I have a feeling this whole case is going to continue to be that way until someone steps forward."

"Anything else?"

"One more thing. It's about how the victims were killed."

Misaki looked slowly, hoping that the young man had decided to ignore her conversation. Li seemed to have understood, because he was standing up and going to the front counter to order something else. "All right, tell me," she said when she was sure Li was going to be gone a while.

"There were five people total right."

"Uh…yes, I know."

"Shh, let me finish."

Misaki sighed, smiling slightly.

"Anyway, there were five people. Two had been mauled and crushed, and the other two, get this, Misaki, the other two had puncture marks strewn on certain vital points on their bodies."

"What?" she whispered. She had not noticed that! "I didn't see any puncture marks."

"You must not have been paying attention, because they're hard to miss. According to Akira-san, the other three individuals had knives thrown at them."

Misaki's eyes widened. Knives were thrown at them? Impossible! The people would have screamed if they had been hit. "That can't be it. Wouldn't the victims have screamed in pain?"

"No. It happened so fast and so brutally, they probably did not have a chance. Akira-san says that these knives were made for quick kills, so whoever killed them more than likely aimed for the neck."

"How horrible! How could they not know that someone was in their room? And how could anyone kill that fast? There were five people, Jun. Which means someone should have had a chance to call for help."

"Apparently not. From what I've seen, this has to be a Contractor's work, or someone who was aided by one."

"But that can't be it! Mayu…erm, Otsuka-san says that no stars vibrated."

Jun was silent for the first time since she called, and that bothered Misaki. "This is creepy…'

"Tell me about it."

"Misaki, I know I told you to go on break, but…"

"I need to come back." It was not a question, it was a statement.

"That's right. Sorry."

"Oh no, it's all right. I got a chance to relax. I'll see you in a minute."

"All right," Jun said, hanging up.

Misaki clicked her phone off and sat up. It was time to go…even though she honestly did not want to. Li-kun was such good company, and here she was wasting his time with her nonsense. "Li-kun," she said, turning, but as soon as she had completely turned around, she noticed that he was no where to be seen.

"Li-kun?" she said, standing up. Where could he have gone? To the bathroom? "Uh, excuse me, sir." Misaki waved her hand, trying to catch the head chef's attention. Eventually she succeeded.

"Eh? Can I help you, Miss?"

"Do you know where Li-kun went?"

The chef smiled. "Oh he left a little while ago. He said he'd get his coat back from you the next time he saw you. Apparently he was called back to his job."

"Oh…I see…" Wow, he sure left quickly didn't he? And in this weather? The rain had calmed back to its soft drizzle, but still…rain was rain and cold was cold. She hoped Li wouldn't die of hyperthermia…

Misaki sighed. Well, it was time to go back to work and try to figure out this case. She bet that if her everyday life at the job had been made into a TV drama, she'd be swimming in money right about now. That thought cheered her up a little as she stepped towards the front door still wrapped in Li's coat; his warmth never left her even when she stepped outside in the cold.

* * *

**A/N : **Dun, dun, dun! Well, the plot thickens! And we still don't know who this mysterious killer is, but hey, Li-kun was here, so yay! xD I doubt I could have Misaki's job. I'd be a nervous wreck in no time. 

Yes, I know I said I was going to update on Thursday or Friday, but I got those three chapters knocked out the way pretty quick. Of course I need to correct them, but other than that, I'm pretty far ahead.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Review Reply Corner:_**

_For those unsigned individuals..._

**hhv94 - **Lol. Thank you! I'll keep writing!

* * *

"Welcome back, Kirihara-san," Yoshimitsu Hourai said when she stepped into his office. Misaki would never admit it, but she did not like her boss too much. He was sometimes 'heartless' in her opinion, and his values often made her frown. He said he was for justice, and yet…and yet there was something about him that just never sat right with her. 

"Thank you, Chief." She bowed politely.

"I heard the foreigner murder case has bothered you, is that true?"

Of course it was true! Why wouldn't it be? It was disturbing and horrific! How could Hourai be so calm? "Yes, sir, it has."

"I can understand." He sighed, turning his chair away from her so he was facing the window. "This case is highly unusual. Even the forensics are completely baffled. They've been working hard, and have yet to uncover anything that we can really use."

"It's…like a mystery," Misaki whispered aloud without meaning to.

Hourai turned, watching her intently before nodding. "Yes, it's like a mystery."

"What are we going to do, sir?"

"Nothing."

What? Did she just hear him say 'nothing'? "Uh…sir, I…what? Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing. We have no leads on this at all. There's other cases out there that need to be taken care of."

"B-But---!"

"Kirihara-san!" Misaki winced. "This case is going nowhere. Besides, those people were foreigners. Let their government handle the rest."

Misaki's mouth dropped open. "Sir! You cannot mean that! Just because those people were foreigners does not mean they don't deserve to have their case looked into!"

"Enough, Misaki! This case is being dropped, and that is that."

Misaki's hands clenched into fists, and she glared at the carpeted floor. How could he just cut this off?! Those people had every right…

"You're dismissed. I want you to go home and rest. It does not seem like keeping you here while you're distraught is a good idea. Your feelings will interfere with your job."

"Sir…" Misaki hissed their gritted teeth. "I'd rather stay here and help out in case a Contractor attacks today."

"I know you would, but I think it's a bad idea for right now. Go home."

Forcing herself to bow, Misaki turned and quickly left the room, not wanting to stay there for even a minute. There was no way she was abandoning this case. Those people wanted justice she was sure, so that's what she was going to give them. Foreigners had every right to justice from the Tokyo Department as their citizens.

As soon as she was a little distance away from her boss's office, she went into the women's restroom down the hallway. She was sure she looked horrible right now. Prehaps if she just cleaned up her face a little and forced a smile (though that was a rarity apparently) she could fool herself that everything was fine.

The restroom was empty, which was just what she wanted. She stood in front of the sink, looking at herself in the mirror. She really DID look tired. Her eyelids looked like they were going to drop over his eyes any second, and her mouth looked like it was just stuck in a perpetual frown. "I look horrible…" she said.

Sighing she grabbed a paper towel, wetting it and trying to clean her face. She was almost done when her cell phone began to ring. Thinking it was Jun, she instantly flipped it open. "Jun?"

"H-Help me!" a young woman cried.

Misaki's eyes widened. This was not Jun. "Who is this? And how did you get my number?"

"Please, you have to help me! They'll kill me."

"Who will kill you? Please, calm down!"

"P-Please help me!" With that said, the phone's line seemed to be cut.

"Wait!" Misaski screamed, but she knew that it was too late. She could feel her heart beating at an abnormally fast pace, and a small trail of sweat go down the side of her face. What had that been all about? She knew better than to linger on that thought for long. She needed to find whoever had called her, and she needed to do it quickly! Without a second thought, she sprinted out the bathroom.

* * *

"Hideo-kun!" 

Hideo tensed, quickly looking up from his computer screen. Hideo Goro was the only person she knew that would help her right now. He was gifted despite his young age, at tracking, and had come out top in his class at the Police Academy program in New York. Why he chose to do his career in Japan was his own business. She guessed so he could go in the country where his parents had been born or something like that. Whatever it was, she was just glad he was around at this time.

"What is it, Kirihara-san?" he asked, blinking behind his oval-shaped glasses.

"I need you to do me a favor. I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything…"

"Eh?" Hideo looked at his computer screen before looking back at her sheepishly. He was playing Pac-Man, which was hardly 'interrupting' anything. Misaki fought the urge to reprimand him for using the computer for something as silly as playing a retro video game. "Oh, it's no problem. I…uh…wasn't really doing anything anyway." He blushed, shutting down the game. "Um…what is it you want me to do?"

She handed him her cell phone. "Please track the first number on my phone in the 'called' section."

Hideo blinked. "Yes, of course. May I ask what this is for?"

Misaki did not answer. Hideo seemed to understand, because he did not say anything more as he hooked the phone up to his computer. He did a number of complicated codes before he finally cracked into it. "Uh, the call number is +81-3-3349-2234."

"Yes I know that…but from where did the call come from?"

"Uh…" Hideo did more typing before a name and location appeared. "From Shinjuku Station."

"What?" Misaki could not hide the disbelief from her tone. "Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes, Kirihara-san. That's the only possible place this call could have come from."

Misaki shook her head slowly. How odd… "Thank you, Hideo-kun."

"No problem. Just…well, please don't tell the Chief that I was playing a game while on the job. He'd skin me alive." Hideo smiled, blushing slightly.

"I won't. Don't tell anyone about this call."

"Deal."

Misaki bowed and thanked him once again before, quickly leaving, walking as fast as she could to the elevator. She had to hurry before it was too late! She had no plans on getting completely involved though. All Misaki had to do was see where this person was, and then she would call for backup. Right now, she wanted to see what was going on for herself…even if she did put herself in danger in the process. _I'm tired of doing nothing! _She thought as she stepped into the elevator and pushed number one.

* * *

It took Misaki a whopping thirty minutes to get to the station due to heavy traffic. She was worried that that poor girl would be killed soon if she did not hurry, so as soon as she found a parking place near the station, Misaki ran inside with as much speed as she could muster. 

As soon as she was inside, she tried to call the number back. At first she had thought that whoever had called her would not answer, but they did. However…

"Hello, who is this?" It was the deep voice of an older male, and he was speaking in English. Misaki's English was limited though she did study it.

"Uh…someone called me from this number."

Realization seemed to dawn on the person because they instantly started speaking in Japanese. "Are you here for _her?"_

"W-What?"

"Hurry up. I'm getting tired of hearing her whine."

Misaki's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"We're in Shinjuku station, which you are more than likely at right about now. As soon as you enter the entrance, keep walking forward until you reach a sub-train bound for the Shibuya district."

Misaki looked around, following this strange person's directions. This was a trap, she knew it…but maybe…just maybe she could do something. "Where to now?"

"Once you've made it that far, just take a left. You'll see the railing leading off into the dark tunnel that of course, makes the subway so well known."

As casually as she could without looking suspicious, Misaki looked towards what the man had indicated. That dark tunnel was the place where so many murders took place, along with kidnappings and rapes. Any who was in their right mind would keep their distance from it, only going near it to board the train.

"That's all I have to say. See you." The phone's line went dead once again.

It was time for Misaki to make another call. She dialed Saitou's number.

"Moshi, moshi?"

"Saitou-san, it's me."

"W-What?! Chief, what are you doing calling me?" Saitou asked; his voice lowering. So, he had been told about her taking a break. The whole building probably knew by now.

"I want you to call for backup to come to the Shinjuku Station. We seem to have a kidnapping."

"What? A kidnapping? Where did you get this information from?"

"That's not important. Just hurry and do as I ordered."

Saitou was quiet. Misaki could tell he was already worrying. The man probably had his nervous frown on his face. "Don't do anything rash, Chief. We'll send back up there. You know you're going to get in trouble for this, right?"

Misaki laughed despite herself. She knew she probably shocked Saitou who was not used to hearing it. "Yes I know. However, I think this is more important."

"R-Right! I will do as you ordered with utmost care!" Misaki could almost see Saitou saluting right now.

"Good. I'm counting on you." She hung up, looking towards that ominous dark area and sighing. Well, it was now or never. If she could do this quickly and quietly…then she should be fine. They might not even detect her.

With a glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was following her, she went into the dark tunnel. There was barely any light to be seen, except a few measly ones hanging on the ceiling. They must have been weak light bulbs, because their light was hardly worth mentioning. The subway tunnel continued to go straight before Misaki was met with a dilemma. The walkway split into three sections. The one on the right looked a bit abandoned, so she took that one. Digging in her suit she took out her small handgun just in case things got messy, which she was sure they would.

Soft whispered voices made her stop walking, and she flattened herself against the wall as if it would make her look a bit invisible.

"I t-told you all I know." It was that woman's voice from before. She sounded even more terrified than she had when she called.

"Surly there's got to be more," said the gruff voice from her phone a few minutes ago. There was her kidnapper. Slowly, Misaki crept up on the people in question.

"There isn't anymore! Why won't you people just let me go? I just did what you wanted, didn't I? That shows loyalty, right?"

"You told him more than that. Don't lie. Besides, you only followed my orders so you wouldn't be killed. There's no loyalty in that."

"N-No! If I did it was not really anything too important. I…I lied about most of the things I said. There is no way I'd betray organization!"

The two people were silent for a while, so Misaki stopped her trek towards them. Even the slightest sound could give her away in that dark tunnel.

"Y-You believe me don't you? I would never do anything against my orders."

"I doubt it. You are a human after all."

"You have to believe me!"

"I don't. You've been filling his head with nonsense. Keep that up and he's going to snap. Lord knows that boy has a short temper."

Misaki got as close as she could…but what she saw confused her. Where was the kidnapper? She heard his voice, but she did not see him. All she saw was a terrified girl with red hair, and a...German shepherd? What was a dog doing here? Was it a guard?

The dog's ears perked up and the girl instantly looked at Misaki from her place on the floor, her eyes shining with hope. "Shoot the dog!" she screamed.

"You damn, bitch," the dog snarled, glaring coldly at the red haired woman.

Misaki did not have time to comprehend what she meant before the German shepherd lunged at her, Misaki instantly shot at it without hesitation. However, the dog disappeared, almost looking transparent. Misaki gasped, unable to get out the way. _A Contractor?!_ She thought in terror, closing her eyes and waiting for her death. It never came.

She felt arms wrap around her as someone knocked her out of the way. She opened her eyes, staring into the fearful blue orbs of Li Shensung. "LI-KUN?!"

Li quickly let her go, looking around for the dog. "A-Are you all right, Misaki-san."

"What are you doing here?!" She barked, standing up and putting some more bullets in her gun. Where was that dog?

"I…I saw you walking down the subway tunnel and so I followed. Sorry, Misaki-san." He looked away sadly.

Misaki sighed. "It's all right, Li-kun. Thank you for saving me."

He nodded, standing up. "Where did that dog go?"

"I don't know…" she looked around, her eyes going back to the red haired woman. She was tied up it seemed, and laying in a painful position on the floor. "Are you all right, Miss?"

"I-I'm fine. Thank you for coming…"

"It was no problem. Tell me, what's going on."

"I can't right now. I won't tell you anything until I'm safe from here."

"Understandable. I'll be right there." Misaki dug into her coat, taking out another small handgun and giving it to Li. Li stared at it as if it was going to bite him. "Cover me."

"Uh…y-yes of course. Please be careful."

She smiled and nodded, slowly walking over to the girl with the red hair. She was almost upon her when the dog appeared, but the frightening thing about him was the fact that he had just came through a wall as if it had never been there in the first place. Misaki lifted her gun firing at the Contractor, but her bullets simply went through it. The dog snarled, flexing its muscles for a pounce. Quickly, Misaki got out of the way, falling on her side. Once again, the dog disappeared, but this time through the opposite wall while in midair.

"W-What is going on?!" Misaki shouted, shaking the red haired woman.

"We don't have time to talk! Hurry, cut my ropes!"

Misaki grabbed the woman, cutting the ropes off as quickly as her shaking hands would allow. As soon as the woman was free, she began running away.

"Fool!" she cried, laughing as she ran. "Keep that dog busy for me why don't you?"

"Wait!" Misaki called, about to run after her, but someone grabbed her wrist.

"Misaki-san…" Li watched her warily, shaking his head.

"I promised to help her!"

Li shook his head, sighing. "But…"

"I know she used me. I understand that…but I still need to help her."

Li seemed a bit confused about what she said. Of course he had no idea what had really went on, but he nodded in understanding. "All right. I'll stay here and keep the dog busy."

"But Li---!"

"Don't worry, Misaki-san." He smiled reassuringly. "I'm not half-bad with a gun. I can take care of myself."

Misaki looked uncertain, but she honestly did not have much time to think this through. "A-All right. Take care, Li-kun."

Li nodded, watching as she ran off. Misaki never saw the cold look in his eyes as he turned to look for the Contractor.

"Miss!" she called, running as fast as she could. The red haired woman did not look it, but she could run very fast, as if she had experience running a race of some sort.

The woman glanced over her shoulder, scowling. That split second of looking away from where she was going, ended everything for her. Misaki saw her fly backwards as she collided with someone wearing a gold Tengu mask with horns protruding from it.

Misaki stopped running, going to a trot, and then simply stopping all together. The person was completely covered black. They obviously did not want any skin showing at all. However, the mask was what set the mysterious person out. It was almost the only thing that Misaki could really see in the darkness.

The red haired woman slowly lifted her head. Misaki did not have to see her face to know she was just as petrified as she herself was. The masked person grabbed her by the hair, lifting the poor woman off the ground.

"You lied to me," the masked person said gently, though Misaki knew that he was very angry. His voice was slightly muffled by the mask, but it obviously belonged to a male. He was speaking in English, but Misaki knew what he was saying---something he was not probably expecting.

"N-No! I-I would never do that!"

"I checked what you told me. It was all a lie."

The woman started crying, trying to yank the man's hands out of her hair. "No! I…It's what they told me, I swear!"

Misaki couldn't watch this anymore. She had no idea what the hell was going on, or even who was good and who wasn't. All she saw was a woman being abused and that was enough for her. "Drop her!"

The man slowly lifted his head, his mask glinting slightly, giving him an impression of being a demon. _He might as well be…_Misaki thought.

"Stop!" another voice shouted.

Misaki whirled around. A few feet away was the German shepherd. He looked a little beaten up, but otherwise he seemed fine. There were scorch marks on his fur as if he had run through fire. _Li-kun…_ she thought. _What happened to him? Did he…_ she shook her head fiercely. He was fine. She was making herself worry…

"She lied to me," the masked man repeated, his hands tightening in the woman's fiery red hair.

"You weren't even supposed to be meeting with her!" the dog shouted, sounding a bit frustrated. "You need to stop this! There's nothing about that incident you need to know! People and Contractors died, that's all!"

"There's plenty I need to know!"

"Fool!" the dog howled, shaking his head fiercely and baring his fangs.

Misaki had no idea what was going on. She wanted to continue hearing what they were talking about, but Li kept appearing in her head. "Where's my friend?" Misaki asked, looking over at the dog. It was a bad time, she knew. But she needed to know what happened to him.

The dog looked her square in the face, growling. "I got him lost in the tunnels. It'll take him a while to get out of here, but he should be fine."

"You---." Misaki bit her tongue. At least Li was fine. The dog had spared him at least.

"Please, please let me go. I promise I'll tell you everything," the red haired woman pleaded, ignoring Misaki and the dog's conversation as if they were not there.

"No you won't!" the dog howled, tensing up and getting ready to sprint forward. "Stop this right now!"

Misaki could feel her cell phone vibrating in her pants pocket, but she refused to reach down and open it. Now was not a good time.

"If you lied once, you'll do it again, you conniving witch," the man replied angrily. "And I'm not keen on liars. I know enough of them to fill a stadium."

The woman seemed like she was going to protest, but suddenly she gurgled, thrown to the ground. Her neck had been cleanly sliced open. The speed at which the man did it was absolutely inhuman. Was this man a Contractor as well?

"Damnit, boy! You're going to get us in a world of trouble for that!" the dog shouted.

"Whatever. It's not like you weren't going to kill her anyway. She proved to be dangerous," the masked man said, cleaning his knife off as if the death was nothing. As soon as he was done, his eyes slowly landed on Misaki.

"True…but still…" the dog trailed off.

Misaki stared, horrified. Realization smacked her in the face like a train. The way he had just killed that poor woman…the knife…it all added up! "You were the one who killed those foreigners! You and that dog!"

"You're that nosey police woman I was warned about…" the man said, a bit of hesitation in his tone.

"Answer me! Did you kill those foreigners?!" Misaki put her hand on the trigger of her gun.

The man was silent for a while before speaking again. There was also something in his voice, something that sounded remarkably like sadness. "Sorry no hard feelings, but you have to go." The man dug into his pocket. Misaki did not wait to see what he was going to do. With speed she got from constantly training in the shooting range, she fired. However, the man was quicker; he dodged, throwing four knives at her. He did it so quickly, that it did not even register in her mind that he had gotten out of the way before it was too late.

Something wrapped around her arm, throwing her to the side and out of harms way. She fell with a loud, "oomph." Whatever had been wrapped around her arm was gone in a split second, returning to its original owner.

"Who's there?" the masked man snapped, taking out another handful of knives. It was amazing he had so many hidden within his black overcoat.

Misaki ran behind a large pole, glancing over the side to see who it was the masked man was talking about. However foot steps behind her made her quickly turn to see who was approaching. She held her gun up, squinting her eyes so she could see in the darkness.

She tensed, watching warily as the Black Reaper casually walked past her. Whether he glanced her way or not, she could not tell. He had saved her? Why?

"Oi, about him…I was going to tell you that, but you really never gave me a chance," the dog grumbled, sounding a bit too calm for Misaki's taste. "I didn't attack this police woman for that one reason."

"Damnit, Hook! You are so useless sometimes."

_Hook? _Was that the Contractor's name? No…it couldn't' be. It must have been a codename.

"Stay out of my way, Hei! I have my orders!" the masked man shouted, running off down the tunnel.

BK-201 looked back at Hook, his expression carefully hidden behind his white mask.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to her. I don't know what your orders are concerning this woman, but the rational decision in this is to let me and my partner go. Killing us won't solve anything."

BK-201 stood silently, still watching the dog. Misaki did not have to see his face to know he was angry. His tone spoke volumes. "Stay out of my way."

Hook's ears went back and he slowly backed away. He looked like he was going to bolt any second, but BK-201 showed no signs of going after him. All he did was watch him carefully before running after the masked man.

"W-Wait!" Misaki called, but stopped herself from running after the two men. She had been spared…at least for now. Her eyes slowly landed on the dog a little ways away. He watched her for a while, before shaking his head.

"You're safe for now, police woman. I have no idea why he's protecting you, and because of that I'll do the rational thing and stay off his bad side. Now if you'll excuse me…" He looked like he was going to go through the wall again, but Misaki quickly stopped him.

"Freeze!" she shouted, pointing her small handgun at him. She knew it wouldn't be of any use, but it was comforting to have.

Hook stopped, looking over his shoulder. "What do you want, police woman?"

"What are you people after? Why did you kill those foreigners?"

Hook simply stared.

"Please! I need to know!"

"Fine. We did it because it needed to be done."

It needed to be done? Why? "Were you hired?"

Hook shook his head, walking away.

"Wait a second!"

"You need to stay out of this. It's better that way. If you continue to become a problem, you'll be dealt with just as quickly as that other woman. You seem much smarter than her though, so you should be fine." With that said, he disappeared through a wall.

Misaki waited a bit, looking around nervously. The dog had done this before. Was he really letting her go? After five minutes passed, she was sure she was safe. Sighing, she walked over to the red haired woman's corpse and shook her head. A death that could have been prevented…and she had been powerless to do anything…

"I'm sorry…" she whispered to no one in particular. She did not have time to truly recover from her shock and sorrow before her phone rang again. With what felt like her tenth sigh that day, she flipped the phone open.

"CHIEF?! Are you all right?!"

"I'm fine, Saitou. Where are you?"

"We're inside the Station. Where are you, Chief? We were worried when you didn't answer the phone."

"I was busy. Um…I'm at the left tunnel near the Shibuya boarding area. Once you get to the sub-train take a left down the usual dark tunnel. Keep going straight until you get to a three-way area. Take a left and keep walking straight. You should find me eventually…"

"All right. Don't move, Chief! We're coming!"

Misaki smiled slightly. She could always count on Saitou to make her smile every now and then. He was almost like an overgrown child in a way.

Bending down, Misaki closed the woman's eyes since that was the least she could do. "Who were you? And who did you work for?" she asked, knowing that she would not be answered back…

* * *

**A/N: -Gasps- **The mystery is revealed…somewhat! For those who have read "The Misadventures Of A Cat Named Cat" that dog should be familiar. His partner, maybe not that familiar right now. Haha, and you all thought it was Wei or Shihoko **–laughs evilly**- Mysteries are so fun. I'll stop picking on you guys now. xD All that aside, wasn't that 'red haired' lady mean? I mean seriously, using Misaki as a scapegoat so she could get away was not cool… 

The whole time I wrote this, I listened to the second theme of DTB. That song is so awesome and exciting, it helped me concentrate on the action scenes in this. Anyway, yeah, I'm rambling now… -**trails off-**

One more thing, thanks for the reviews, not to mention reading my often pointless author notes! If I could, I would totally give you guys all a hug. OH! And a big hurray for Lanner Falcon for figuring out Hook was involved in that brutal murder! Great job:O


	6. Chapter 6

By the time Misaki got done explaining things to her team AND to her Chief, she was exhausted beyond belief. This day had been trying at best. She was still worried about Li, more so now that she knew Hook had not killed him. However, even though the Contractor had said the young man was not dead, that did not mean that Hook had not harmed him. Saitou had told her that the other officers had checked all the tunnels and had found neither hide nor hair of him. What did that mean? Was Li…BK-201?

Misaki shook her head. No…of course not. She had been over this with herself a long time ago. Li could not have been BK-201. They were just too different.

"Misaki."

She quickly snapped out of her thoughts, staring up at Chief Hourai. He was watching her with an expression that was mingled with sympathy.

"Yes, sir?" she said.

"About that woman with the red hair…did she say anything substantial before she was murdered by that man you spoke of?"

Misaki shook her head. "No, sir. She…she never had a chance."

Hourai sighed, leaning back in his chair.

Misaki's officers looked at her, as if waiting for her to say more.

"Nothing at all?"

"No, sir."

"Another unsolved mystery. This is getting tiring…" Hourai growled, clasping his gloved hands together. "Kirihara-san, you're dismissed."

"What? I'm not going to be punished for insubordination?"

"No. You got us information on who had murdered those foreigners. Now that we know who they are, it's just a matter of catching them. I'm going to leave that up to you and your team as usual."

Saitou and Kouno saluted Hourai. "Roger!" they said in unison.

"Thank you, Chief," Misaki said, bowing. "I am honored that you still see me fit as Chief of my sector."

Hourai laughed. "Of course I do. What you did was rash I will admit, but you are young. I'm sure in another five or six years you'll be much better."

Misaki bowed once again, leaving the room with her men. As soon as they were far away from Hourai's office, they spoke.

"Chief, do you think we can handle this? Those Contractors sound really dangerous," Kouno said, looking around as if someone would overhear their conversation.

"Well…BK-201 saved me…though why I have no idea. I guess that means we have SOME protection."

"That's not very comforting, Chief," Saitou replied.

"Yes, I know. Did you all get in contact with Matsumoto? I'm sure he'll want to get involved in this as well."

"I keep missing him," Kouno said with a bit of a mumble.

"Same here," Saitou replied.

"That's a shame…" Misaki crossed her arms, frowning deeply as she once again got lost in her ocean of chaotic thoughts. Hook had said Li was fine…but what if he lied? No…she thought. He wouldn't lie. His logic seems to be that if there's nothing to gain, then there's no point. He wouldn't get anything by lying to me. There would be no point…

The footsteps behind Misaki had long since disappeared. She suddenly realized that her officers weren't following her anymore. Misaki blinked, turning. "What is it?"

"You're worried about Li-kun, aren't you, Chief?" Saitou asked, looking a bit down.

"I…well…of course not. I'm sure he's fine."

"You keep saying that, but you're still worried. Go and see if he's back at his apartment. If something comes up we'll call you." Kouno crossed his arms with a small smirk on his face.

"Ooooh no, I'm not doing this again."

"Huh?" the two officers said at the same time.

"Every time I leave something bad happens. No, this time I'm staying here."

"But, Chief…"

"No buts! We are going to finish our reports and call it a day!"

The two officers blinked dumbly, watching as Misaki stomped away.

"The Chief…sure is scary…" Saitou mumbled when he was sure she was out of earshot.

"She sure is…" Kouno replied with a small nod.

* * *

Misaki worked at a demon's pace, finishing her report in a records time, including the stacks of paperwork thrown haphazardly on her desk by Jun. Oddly enough, Jun asked her no questions about her little 'adventure.' Instead she rambled on and on about how bored she was just working in an office, and that their needed to be more good-looking men in the police force. 

Misaki looked out her window. It was getting dark. Twilight had already settled over the city like a veil. It was only a matter of time before night came all together. It was hard to believe that she had spent her whole day working without a break.

"Misaki-san, you're never going to get done staring out the window," Jun admonished, shaking her head.

"Hm? I was daydreaming again…sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. A lot happened to you today. I bet your swimming in an ocean of questions right about now."

Misaki chuckled. "That's right. There are so many things about today that bothered me."

"I'm sure," Jun replied coyly. "You've literally been through hell. It makes me sorta glad I have a desk job rather than running around out there. I doubt I could do it."

"Nonsense, Jun! You'd do just fine." Misaki signed her signature at the bottom of her report.

"I doubt it. So, are you going to go straight home after this?"

"Yes, that's right. I think it would be best."

"I think so too," Jun agreed. "I know you love your job, but sometimes you need a little down time."

"Yes…yes I know." As soon as Misaki was done, she grabbed her manila folder, and stood up. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Jun. Don't YOU overwork, all right?"

"I _never_ overwork. Unlike some people who are workaholics, I actually like being a sloth."

Misaki laughed, giving Jun her report. "Please give that to the Chief for me."

"No problem. See you."

Misaki waved goodbye as she left the room, heading towards the elevator at the end of the hall. As soon as she stepped inside, a thought kept harassing her. Could she call that dog named Hook? He was the one who had answered that woman's number, right? So wouldn't he still be holding on to her phone in case it would be used against him and his comrade? That thought might be crazy, but something kept nagging her to make the call.

As soon as the elevator door opened, she pushed the redial button on her phone, and waited patiently for her call to go through. However, soon a familiar voice of "you have reached a number that is no longer available" told her that Hook had already taken care of things.

"Oh well…it was worth a try…" she mumbled. She closed her phone and continued her trek to her car. As soon as she got there, she stopped, checking it to make sure Hook or his partner did not decide to do something to it; like planting a bomb. Misaki knew the chances of that were slim, but she wanted to make sure. Once that was done, she unlocked her car, put on her seatbelt, and pulled out onto the highway. The whole time, the day's earlier events playing over and over in her head.

That man in the Tengu mask was searching for some information…but what? What could be so important that he was willing to go against orders? Hook was obviously very upset with him…but why? And BK-201…why had he saved her? Was she needed for some big plan in the works? If so, then what?

"UGH! Stop it, Misaki," she mumbled. "You need to stop thinking about work. It's over for now. All you need is some rest and then all the answers will come to you."

She nodded resolutely. She would not think of work anymore! As soon as she got home---LI?! She slammed on her breaks, causing a car behind her to screech to a stop.

Li blinked, stopping to see what all the commotion was.

"Li-kun!" Misaki cried, rolling down her window and poking her head out. "You're all right!"

"Misaki-san?" He gave her the biggest smile she had ever seen.

"Do…do you need a ride home, Li-kun?" she asked.

"Well…" he looked up towards the sky, thinking for a while before he looked back at her and nodded. "Yes, I think that would be nice. I'm a bit tired really…I had to walk pretty far…"

Misaki waited until he had stepped into the backseat before she bombarded him with questions. "Li-kun, did that dog hurt you?"

"Eh? No. He just got me a bit lost. Hey…my jackets here."

_So Hook's story had been true… _she thought. That dog did not lie to her after all…but why didn't he kill Li? She was grateful, very much so, that he had not done that...but why? Did Contractors actually have morals? "Oh yes, it's here. Sorry for not giving it back to you until now."

"Oh no it's all right."

"Umm…Li-kun…where were you headed?"

Li looked up from his jacket, a small blush appearing on his face. "The police station. I wanted to see how you were doing…"

Misaki fought back a blush from flaring across her cheeks. "Thank you, Li-kun, but I'm fine. I was saved by a mysterious man in black." She sounded cheesy, but she WAS saved by a mysterious man in black.

"Eeeeh? Was he like a super hero or something?"

Misaki blinked, looking in her mirror. Li appeared to be so serious about what he said, that she started laughing.

"What's so funny, Misaki-san?" he said, looking a little indignant.

"A super hero, Li-kun? That sounds like something a child would say."

"Well…it seemed to fit. He did save you, so doesn't that make him a super hero?"

A redeeming villain was more like it...or maybe, just maybe he was an anti-hero or something. That would make sense...sorta. "If that's what you want to believe, Li-kun."

Li chuckled.

It was silent for a while before Li spoke up again. "Misaki-san…you missed the turn."

"Huh?! Oh no! I wasn't paying attention." She blushed furiously once again; turning the car back and heading back to the road she missed. "Sorry, Li-kun."

"Oh, it's no problem. We're on the right track now." He stopped, instantly changing the subject. "Misaki-san…what happened to that girl? Did you help her?"

Misaki's smile dropped. Should she tell him the truth? "No…I'm afraid not, Li-kun…"

"I…see. I'm sorry…"

"No, there was nothing I could have done." That's right…there was nothing she could have done to save that woman, though she wished she could have. The Tengu masked man was simply too quick. Misaki would have never made it in time…

"What was that thing that attacked you? Was that a demon? It looked like a dog…but it could go through walls like a ghost."

"Uh…well…" What was she supposed to say? "Erm…y-yes, that's right. Please don't tell anyone about it. It's top secret." A lie, but Li seemed gullible enough. Apparently, she was right. He believed her story without a second thought.

"So demons ARE real?" he said in pure amazement with a large smile on his face.

Misaki fought the urge to laugh. She didn't think he was THAT gullible. If this story worked with Li, she would have to plan more convincing ones later if he stumbled into any more trouble...hopefully she wouldn't have to. "That's right. We've been trying to hide it from the public because we're scared that if they found out about demons, they'd all panic."

"Hmm…I see. That's probably for the best…" Li crossed his arms and leaned against his seat, closing his eyes.

Now that Misaki paid more attention to him…he did seem very tired, just as he had said. She did not know how far he had to walk…but still...Misaki stopped talking and let him doze off. It seemed he needed it.

* * *

Li had thanked her as soon as she dropped him off, bowing politely and inviting her to come inside, but Misaki had to decline. He was tired, and she did not wish to be a burden. 

"Are you sure? It would only take a few minutes."

Misaki hesitated. She WAS hungry...and he WAS offering so...well...should she? This may be the only time she had to spend time with Li. "I don't want to be a bother..."

Li chuckled slightly. "How could you be a burden if I invited you?"

He had a point. "Well...um...all right. But only for a few minutes."

She stepped out her car and followed Li until they reached some stairs to his room. He stopped in front of his door as if a bit uncomfortable about entering, but eventually unlocked the door. That was...odd. Was there something he was afraid of?

"Why the hesitation, Li-kun?" Misaki asked, unsure of whether she should let that strange scene fade away.

He blinked, stepping out of his shoes. "Uh...no reason. I just feel a bit uncomfortable going into my room at night. I guess you could say I'm a bit paranoid." He grinned a bit sheepishly as he disappeared into his kitchen.

Misaki looked around his room as she took off her shoes, finally having a chance to see what it was like. What she saw...bothered her. There was nothing in his room worth mentioning; literally. As if sensing a question was about to arise, Li answered her.

"I haven't had enough time to really fix my place up. Sorry if it's extremely empty..."

"Uh...it's no problem. I just...it must be rather lonely in here. This place seems a bit dead."

Li was quiet. All Misaki could hear was frying, and a wonderful aroma of fried rice drifting from the kitchen. He sure set things up rather quickly didn't he? She looked around for a place to sit, though it was clear she was going to have to sit on the floor. With a sigh, she did just that.

"Li-kun...how is work?"

"Um, it's been going a little better I suppose. I changed jobs, so now I work at a toy store."

"Aww, that sounds nice. I bet you really like it."

"It is nice, and the pay isn't half bad."

Misaki smiled, glad to hear that things were getting better for him. She was begining to think that police work would be just what Li needed to get more money rather than all those little jobs he had been running around doing. However, she chose not to bring it up again. Li had already been adamant about not doing that. "Well, as long as your enjoy it, then I guess that's all that matters."

It was silent for a while. Misaki was unsure of what to say...as well as feeling uncharacteristically nervous. Why was it Li made her feel that way? She had nothing to be nervous of after all...

"Misaki-san, is something the matter?"

"Uh...n-no of course not."

"Are you sure? Did something...happen at work?"

Misaki was silent. Was Li a mind reader? Honestly... "Nothing too important. Just that my Chief is being difficult as usual. He had closed that case with the foreigners, and now he wants to open it up again. It doesn't make any sense."

"Hmm...that is odd. I guess it was that event with that woman that changed his mind."

"I suppose so..."

"Misaki-san..." Li said, his voice softening so much, that she had to strain to hear him over the sound of frying rice. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm right here. Don't try to keep everything to yourself."

Misaki blushed, staring down at the floor. Li was so sweet and---she shook her head fiercely. He was JUST a friend! A sweet friend though... "I'll keep that in mind, Li-kun."

Eventually, Li came out of the kitchen with a bowl full of fried rice with chopped up bits of beef, egg, and carrots in it. Misaki had to fight the urge to snatch the bowl from his hands with he gave it to her. "You cook rather quickly."

Li smiled, sitting down across from her with his bowl of rice. "It takes practice to cook that fast."

"I can see that. I'd probably burn up my room if I even bothered to cook as quickly as that." Not that she could cook at all really. "You know, you should work at one of those restaurants where they cook in front of people. I'm sure you'd do very well."

"Really? I guess that would be interesting..."

"Of course! Just think of how excited people would be to watch you."

Li smiled, but it was oddly...sad. Was she seeing things? Yes...that had to be it. Why would he be sad? A sharp rap at the door stopped her train of thoughts.

"I wonder who that could be at this time of night…" Li said, standing up and rushing over to the door.

Misaki blinked, her nosey, curious side preventing her from ignoring who was at the door. She widened her eyes slightly when she saw it was a foreigner. A handsome man with dark brown hair and blue eyes stood outside with his hands shoved in a black jacket. She had to admit, if he was not scowling he would have been a lot better looking. She blushed furiously at the thought. _Stupid Jun and Kanami are corrupting me…_

"Hello, John-san," he replied happily. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, I just want your help with figuring out a Chinese cooking recipe. I think I did something wrong…" John looked past Li, raising an eyebrow when he saw Misaki.

Not sure of what to do, she waved nervously. With a smirk, he waved back. "Who's that, Li-kun? Another girlfriend?"

Misaki almost dead panned. ANOTHER girlfriend?!

Li tensed, looking back at Misaki and smiling apologetically. "No, she's just a friend. Besides, I've never had a girlfriend."

"Could have fooled me. So, what's your name, Miss?"

Misaki forced herself out of her frigid lake of despair before answering. "My name is Misaki Kirihara."

"Misaki, Misaki…" John tapped his chin with his index finger. "That name sounds familiar. Are you friends with a woman named Kanami Ishizaki?"

"You know her?" Misaki asked, sitting up a little higher.

"Sorta. Uh...sorry for not really being able to talk to you, but I really need Li-kun's help with my cooking catastrophe. I'm scared I'm going to burn up the apartment..." He sighed, looking a bit embarrassed.

Misaki nodded slowly, returning to her food. She heard the front door close, a clear indication that she was not meant to stay there and wait.

It took about ten minutes for Li to return. As soon as he entered, he took off his shoes, and returned to his neglected bowl of rice. Misaki looked up from her food, frowning. For a split second she swore she saw a hint of anger on his face, but did not bring it up. Whatever had transpired between his friend was not her business. Their discussion was obviously over something other than how to properly cook a Chinese meal.

"Sorry for leaving you here alone."

"Hm? Oh, it's no problem, Li-kun. Your friend seems rather nice."

There was a second of hesitation from Li before he answered. Misaki narrowed her eyes a bit. What was going on? "Yes, he is. He can be difficult though."

"How so?"

"He has a horrible temper sometimes, and gets frustrated easily. It's not easy to help him cook, because he usually has a tantrum."

Misaki smiled. So THAT'S what happened? "Oh…well…I'm sure he'll get better."

"I hope so. I wouldn't want to teach him in a cooking class." Li shook his head.

Misaki laughed, shaking her head.

The rest of the small meal was quiet for the most part. The only time Misaki really spoke was to tell Li how wonderful a cook he was, which seemed to lift his spirits a little.

As Li led her to her car, she kept thinking about John. His Japanese was impeccable; almost as if he had been born in the country. He didn't even have an accent that most foreigners had when they spoke the language. Just then, something hit her. Li's Japanese was quite good as well. She would have sworn that he himself was Japanese. Misaki smiled. It was amazing how gifted some people were in learning a new language…

"Misaki-san, what are you thinking about?"

"Hm?"

"We're already near your car, but it seems your mind is a thousand miles away." He smiled.

Misaki blushed, coughing in her hand. "Oh, nothing really. I was just thinking about how nice it would be to do this again sometime."

"Well…you know where I live, so just come over any time if you want. I mainly work in the mornings now, though sometimes I will have night shifts."

"Really? Are you sure I wouldn't be a bother?"

Li's smile widened. "You're never a bother, Misaki-san."

With a bow, Misaki stepped into her car, waving at Li as she drove away. Misaki sighed as she drove down the street towards the highway. She would have loved to stay longer…but she could feel exhaustion starting to creep over her like a spider. Besides, although Li did not say anything about how tired he was anymore, she knew he wanted to go to sleep.

Despite that day's horrible event, she only thought of one thing for once; her talk with Li. She smiled, glad that she had caught him before she got home.

* * *

**A/N: **GAH! That dialogue was killing me. I was all like, "what the crap should I say?" xD Thank God I got this chapter done. I thought it was going to be impossible. Oh no, John lives next to Li. Does this spell trouble? **-nudge, nudge-**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Review Reply Corner:**_

_For those...bleh, you know already. xD_

**Nina P. - **Hurray! I'm so glad you like it! xD Well, if Hook is here, then you can be sure everyone else is too. Oh no, John is a conniving one... **-trails off-**

_

* * *

_

_Another tiring day at the job…or should I say night, _Misaki thought as she stared at yet another dead body being put into a body bag. This time, instead of foreigners, a Japanese citizen had been murdered. But they were not killed in any incredibly bizarre way; just a few bullet wounds here and there.

"The murdered victim was apart of the Nakajima mafia. I guess we could say this was gang related violence," officer Hiroshi said, scribbling down some notes. "We don't really know who he was right now, but I'm sure forensics will figure that out."

"According to Kanami Ishizaki, a star vibrated earlier," Misaki said, crossing her arms. "I suppose that means that a Contractor was involved in this."

"Are you sure?" Hiroshi asked, a bit skeptical. "If a Contractor had done this, wouldn't they have killed the Yakuza member a little bit more…uh…violently? I mean, most Contractor related deaths are quite unique from what I've seen."

Hiroshi had a point, but that was just a stereotype. Some of the most gruesome murders were ones that looked perfectly normal. "Without further evidence that this was a murder caused by a Contractor, we're going to have to say that this was a gang war."

"Understood. It seems you weren't really needed for this case, eh, Kirihara-san."

"Yes, it seems like another false alarm…." Misaki looked up at the sky, seeing another shooting star. BK-201 must have taken out another unknown Contractor…then again, maybe that Tengu masked man had a hand in that death. "All right, this case is a wrap for the time being."

The officers nodded, saluting her as they ran off to relay the information to everyone else.

Would this night ever end? Misaki sighed, about to take out her cell phone, when a familiar sight made her instantly freeze. BK-201, the Black Reaper, was watching her from an alleyway a few feet away.

She opened and closed her mouth like a fish, wanting to say something, but too shocked to speak a word. Casually she looked around to make sure no one else had seen him, and then looked back. However, he was no longer there. The Black Reaper had disappeared as quickly as he appeared. What was it he wanted? Did he want to tell her something?

"Chief! We've told everyone about your decision. What now?" Hiroshi asked, running up to her side. He stopped, staring at her curiously. "Are you all right?"

"Uh…yes I'm fine." She looked away from where BK-201 was a little while ago. "Take that body to the morgue and have the forensics look at it. That will be all for the time being."

"Roger!" Hiroshi shouted, saluting once again.

Misaki waited until he was gone before looking back at the alleyway. Once again, BK-201 was there. This time he nodded at her to come closer.

_Does he want to talk? _She thought nervously. This could be her one and only chance to talk to this mysterious Contractor. Obviously he did not want to kill her, because if that was the case he would not have saved her.

With one more glance around to make sure no one was paying any attention to her, she walked towards the alleyway, watching as BK-201 went a little further into the darkness. She hesitated for a split second, but then continued on.

As soon as she stepped into the alleyway, she noticed that it was empty. "Um…hello?" she said, but out of nowhere a hand covered her mouth. She screamed, fighting against her attacker.

"Shh, relax. Do you promise to keep this conversation between the two of us, and that no matter what you will not alert your men to my presence?"

Misaki forced herself to calm down, nodding vigorously. Suddenly the hand left her mouth. She slowly turned, her eyes falling on BK-201. She automatically held her breath, fear gripping her. She had not been this close to him before. "Did you wish to talk to me?"

He nodded.

"What is it?"

"Be careful. You've been under surveillance."

"What?" she whispered, looking around. She was being watched? "Who's watching me?"

BK-201 shook his head.

"Don't I need to know who's watching me?"

"No. All you need to know is that you ARE being watched. Be careful who you call, and be careful who you answer for. Your words could be used against you."

"What…what does that mean? Is it someone at HQ?"

Bk-201 turned and began walking away.

"Wait a minute," she whispered again, her volume increasing a little.

He stopped.

"Why did you save me back then?"

There was only silence for an answer.

"You need me for something, don't you? What is it?"

"It seemed like a rational decision."

"What?" It seemed like a rational decision? Exactly what did that mean? However, BK-201 did not answer her question. Instead, he voiced something that was surprisingly similar to Hook's warning.

"Miss, stay out of all this. If you keep chasing stars, you'll only find grief. "

Misaki opened her mouth to speak, but Bk-201 ran down the dark hallway, leaving her alone, as well as confused. He had answered her question, and yet he didn't. Is seemed like a rational decision? What was that supposed to mean? And this warning…why was he giving it to her?

"Chief!" she heard someone call.

"Uh…in here!" She could hear rapid footsteps approaching.

"C-Chief!" Saitou said. His breathing was harsh as if he had just run a marathon. "W-what are you doing here? Did you see something?"

Kouno looked around, his gun already drawn as he surveyed his environment.

Misaki stared at the two and sighed. Where was Matsumoto when she needed him? She honestly hoped he would come back from his vacation so she could put some sense in her two officers. "I thought I saw someone…but I guess it was just my imagination," she lied.

Kouno looked over at Saitou and shrugged. "Well, are you ready to leave? We've finished all we needed to do. Hiroshi took care of most of the work."

"Yes…let's head back." She turned, not daring to look back as she stepped out the alleyway. Why exactly had BK-201 saved her? Just what was her role in all of this? Was she simply a pawn in a game of chess…or was she perhaps more?

* * *

Someone was watching her… 

That's all Misaki could think of as she filed her report on the murder of the Yakuza member, whose name was later identified as Moyashi Kengen….which was a very peculiar name to say the least. Apparently Moyashi was a hired hit man who took great pride in how he quickly handled his client's jobs. His murder remained a mystery for the time being, still under the rouse of "gang related violence." However, many of those in the police force did not believe that was the case. Someone wanted this man dead, and they wanted him dead bad.

Did BK---no he couldn't have. He used many other mediums for killing than a gun; most of which were much more effective.

_My heavens…Mayu was right…I do think about him a lot…_

Misaki leaned back in her chair, staring at Jun's empty seat. Her friend had been on sick leave for three days now. She was starting to get worried. But every time she went to the woman's house, she was not home. Even her calls could not get through. She could only imagine all the messages she had left on her answering machine.

Warily, like a mouse hiding from a cat, she looked around her office. Who could be the one keeping an eye on her? Was it someone she knew? Was it Hook? The Contractor seemed to have the ability to possess animals, so didn't that mean he could be just about anything that could walk, crawl, fly or swim? She shuddered at the thought of walking home, having a bird flying above her, watching her like she was prey.

"Chief!"

She jumped, knocking some of her paper off her desk.

Saitou blushed, waving his hands in what seemed like a peace gesture. "Erm…sorry, Chief," he said, bending down to help her gather the fallen paper. "We were just wondering if you would like to go out and some burgers. Our shift is over soon so…"

Misaki shook her head. "Sorry, Saitou-san. You know how I feel about leaving early."

"Uh…y-yes, sorry about that." He bowed and turned to leave.

"Saitou-san…you haven't called Matsumoto-san have you? I honestly don't want to ruin his vacation with nonsense."

Saitou halfway turned. "B-But a few days ago you said you wanted him to know what was going on."

"Yes….but I told you that I changed my mind later that day didn't I?"

Saitou blushed, coughing in his hand.

Misaki stared at him with a large frown. That was always a sign of nervousness. No matter what Saitou said she knew he was lying.

"Really I haven't! You can ask Kouno." He waved his hands again.

Misaki continued her cold stare, her eyes narrowing.

"A-All right! I admit it! I may have let something slip…"

"Saitou, you know better than to---."

"I know, Chief! I'm so sorry." He bowed three times consecutively.

Misaki sighed, rubbing her temples. She should have known Saitou would say something. He did do some idiotic things sometimes…like using his real name on an infiltration mission involving that Chinese mafia.

"Well…he was going to find out eventually I suppose. Was he worried?"

"Erm…a little. He should be back from Osaka tomorrow."

Misaki shook her head. Well, she was going to get an earful tomorrow. "I might as well prepare."

Saitou gulped, looking a bit awkward now as he waited for Misaki to say more.

"Yes? Was there something else, Saitou-san?" she asked, returning to her paperwork.

"Uh…n-no, that was all, Chief." He blushed, bowing. "If you change your mind about not eating, you know you can always call us." With that said and done, Saitou left Misaki to her work, and to her thoughts.

Misaki knew what her co-workers were trying to do. They were trying to keep her from becoming obsessed with work. Their efforts, sadly, were not working. Misaki had to work, she HAD to think. That's just what sort of person she was. Yes, maybe she was a workaholic, but at least she got things done when they needed to be done. She was dependable; and that was just the sort of people everyone relied on.

Shaking her head, she went back to her previous thoughts. BK-201 had said she was being watched, but he had not been specific in his meaning. There were many people who could have been watching Misaki. The police, people on the streets (though that thought was disturbing), even her own friends. The fact that the strange Contractor deemed it important enough to warn her…made her nervous. Hook had told her to be careful. But why? Earlier the dog seemed more than willing to kill her, and yet now he was her ally? What was going on?

A horrible thought suddenly assaulted Misaki's mind. Anyone in this office could be a spy...

She looked around, watching the few people who were still working in her office. Could these people she saw everyday be spies, or assassins for some nameless organization? She wanted to believe that BK-201 had been lying to her…but she knew he had not. Who was she supposed to watch for? What was the point in giving her a warning?

Misaki stacked her papers, saving them for another day. She no longer felt safe in her own workplace…

**

* * *

****A/N: **Yes, it's crazy short. xD I couldn't figure out a way to make it longer. I feel like I've failed you guys. Dx 

Anyways, Misaki is being watched…but why who? And why? I blame her nosiness. She WAS awfully nosey in the anime, often getting in trouble because of it. All that aside, you guys may have to wait a while for the eighth chapter. I'm seriously stumped on it. Darn writers block… **-shakes a fist as the sky-**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Review Reply Corner:_**

**Nina P. - **Aww, thanks a bunch for the advice! I took it to heart, so I'm not just saying that to make you feel like I listened. xD

**-Begins a long rambling tale-**

Weeeeell, after fighting with the wicked creature named 'Writers Block,' I have finally defeated it! Well...for the time being anyway. It'll probably resurrect itself again and come after me like always. HOWEVER! **-points towards the sky with pencil that says 'Excalibur' in permanent marker- **Good will always prevail! Unless it's one of those tragedy stories or something...o.o''

**-Rambly tale has ended...for now at least-**

All that aside, onwards to the REAL story! xD

* * *

"Misaki!" 

Misaki jumped, snapping out of her thoughts and glancing at her friend, Kanami. She had promised to spend the last day of the Star Festival with her, but so far, her heart was not all into it. What was the point? The REAL stars no longer existed. In their place, were stars that were only fake. However, to Kanami, the Star Festival still needed to be celebrated faithfully… "Yes?"

"Did you hear one word I said?"

"Um…well…" she trailed off when she was fixed a glare. "All right, all right. No, I was not paying attention."

"Are you thinking about that guy again?" Kanami said slyly, a twinkle of mischief in her brown eyes.

"N-No! Why do you always bring this up?" Misaki huffed.

"I don't. YOU'RE the one who always has that 'I'm thinking of someone' face." Kanami took a sip of her strawberry smoothie, looking at her menu to see if there was perhaps something else on it that she wanted. "Misaki, I took you to this restaurant so you could FORGET about work. So we BOTH can forget about work."

Misaki blushed, looking away. "I know. Sorry, Kanami."

"Yare, yare," Kanami shook her head. "Well, if this isn't helping, I already have a place planned out for us to go. Hopefully that will get you out of 'workaholic' mode. If that's even possible..." she mumbled with a grimace.

"I'm not a workaholic…just a hard worker."

"A hard worker who works a little too much. Honestly Misaki, live a little."

Once again she was hearing that same sentence. She had tried to live a little. However something always came up that ended her ability to do that.

"I know you like working, and I'm not trying to change that in you, but honestly…" Kanami stopped talking, returning to sipping her smoothie. "Oh, what are you going to order, Misaki?"

Misaki blinked, shocked by the instant topic change. It was amazing how Kanami could do that so quickly. "Uh…" she picked up her menu, looking down the list. Why had Kanami chosen an Italian restaurant, she would never know. Eating Italian was something she rarely did, though she would admit that it was rather good. Most of the time she ate burgers, a box full of fries, and maybe those fried cheese sticks that everyone seemed to like so much. "I guess I'll get…"

"No junk food, Misaki." Kanami smirked as if reading her mind.

Misaki sighed. "Fine…fine. No pizza then. I guess I'll have spaghetti."

"Spaghetti?! Out of all the food on the menu you choose spaghetti?"

"W-What? I like spaghetti! Plus, I don't know what the rest of this is!"

"Just pick something that sounds good," Kanami replied. "You don't go to a restaurant to get the same thing."

Just pick something that sounds good? That was easier said then done! All of the names sounded unique…but Misaki was not the adventurous type like her friend was. There was no way she was just going to randomly pick something.

"Why don't you try out Chicken Alfredo? I had it once, and it was really good."

"Chicken…Alfredo?" Misaki grimaced. What a weird name.

"Oh! Don't look like that, Misaki! You haven't even tried it yet!"

Misaki sighed once again. "All right, all right…I'll try it out…" She closed her menu, her eyes roving around the restaurant. Was she being watched even in here? She felt like someone was staring at her, but from what she had seen, no one was paying her any mind.

"K-Kirihara-san?"

Misaki blinked, turning in her seat. A few feet away was Hideo with a goofy grin on his face. "Hideo-kun, what are you doing here?" she asked. What WAS he doing here? Wasn't he still on duty right about now?

"Hideo-kun?" Kanami said, lifting her head from her menu. "Isn't that that guy you said is always sleeping and goofing off on the job?"

Misaki blushed furiously, as well as Hideo.

"D-Don't mind, Kanami. She's just being silly," Misaki replied, trying to blow off what was just said. Honestly…her friend was just so rude sometimes…

Kanami mumbled. "But you DID say that…"

"Uh…Kanami? Kanami Ishizaki?" Hideo sounded a bit shocked, as well as amazed. How did he instantly come to the conclusion that her last name was Ishizaki, was beyond Misaki. She guessed this was his sharp mind at work. After all, who ELSE did Misaki know that was named Kanami?

"Eh? Yes, that's right." She smiled.

Hideo blushed, bowing deeply. "It's a pleasure to meet you! I've read some of your reports on the stars. It's quite interesting."

Kanami laughed. "Aww, you seem sweet." She stopped, leaning towards Misaki. "You didn't tell me there was a sweetie like this at the Station? Lucky, lucky."

Misaki coughed, trying to beat down a blush that threatened to bloom across her face at Kanami's words. She had been blushing quite a bit lately, and had to admit that it was rather annoying. "Uh…Hideo-kun, would you like to eat with us?"

"W-W-What?! N-No I couldn't do that. I don't want to be a bother or anything…"

"A bother? Hardly," Kanami replied, patting the spot next to her.

Hideo smiled, bowing once again before taking the seat. "Uh…so…uh…erm…how is your break going, Kirihara-san?"

Misaki passed her menu to Hideo. She wasn't going to need it anymore. "Um…it's going well. I miss being at work though…"

"No worries, you didn't miss much. Mostly everyone left for the Star Festival. I'm not too sure what that is considering I haven't been in this country long but…it must be something special."

Misaki was about to educate him on what the Festival was for, but Kanami beat her to it. "Well, this festival is mainly about an old folklore." She sighed as she said it, gazing at her empty cup thoughtfully.

"Oh? Is that so? What's it about?"

Misaki laughed. "You're Japanese aren't you? You should know this, Hideo-kun."

"I'm just part Japanese. Besides, my mother never really went into detail about a lot of Japanese traditions." Hideo smiled, but it was a bit empty.

"Well…" Misaki looked at Kanami for help with explaining, but her friend was staring out the window. "Uh…well, in this legend, there was a princess named Orihime, who enjoyed weaving. She lived on the east side of the river of the Milky Way with her father, the Emperor Tenkou. Kengyuu, who was, according to legend, a very handsome and brave herdsman, lived on the other side of the river. The two met and fell in love, and everyone was happy, including the Emperor. However, Orihime spent so much time being with Kengyuu that she began to neglect her weaving work."

"Naturally," Kanami said, jumping into the story, "this made her father very angry, and he separated the two to opposite sides of the river so that they could not meet anymore. He thought that by doing this, Orihime would return her to usual routine and forget all about Kengyuu. However, once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month, a flock of magpies forms a bridge across the Milky Way, and the two lovers are able to be with each other on this one night."

"Thus," Misaki continued, "the Star Festival begins. Of course there are different variations of the story, but this is just what Kanami and I were taught in school."

Hideo blinked, leaning back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling. "So THAT'S what it's about…"

"Yes. It's…rather silly really." Misaki yawned. It was silly; she was not going to lie. Her father never really was into the festival, so it never really was a big thing to her.

"Silly? It sounds pretty interesting. It's no odder than our Halloween tradition in America."

"Halloween?" Kanami said "I've heard of that. It's when you dress up for candy isn't it?"

"Uh…" Hideo laughed, shaking his head. "Not really, but I suppose that's how many people see it now. There was a reason behind Halloween, but kids nowadays don't know anything about it."

"Hm? What's it about?" Kanami asked, leaning forward in her seat with anticipation.

Misaki fought the urge to giggle. How in the world did they transfer from the Star Festival to Halloween?

"Well, it's a long story really. I'll explain it later."

"Are you sure? I'd really like to learn about this holiday. It looks awfully interesting."

"Well…if you want really to know...Um, people dressed up as ghosts, and other creatures so when spirits came out on Halloween, you could walk around safely without fear of possession or harm. The spirits would think you were one of them.'

"But where does the candy thing fit in?"

"Uh…well…I'm not sure really. It was just for the festival I guess. Mainly kids did it, but in America over the years it seems anything goes." Hideo laughed again, shaking his head. "European countries originally came up with the idea…so well, it's probably been changed to fit the American culture. Uh…I'm not sure though. I never really studied the holiday in depth…"

"I see…" Kanami rubbed her chin. "Very, very interesting. Thank you for the lesson, Hideo-kun."

"You're welcome, Ishizaki-san." He bowed his head politely. "And thank you for telling me about the Star Festival. I'm sure I would have been lost for the rest of the day. Thank you as well, Kirihara-san."

"Oh, it was no problem," Misaki and Kanami said at the same time. They glanced at each other in shock before bursting into a fit of laughter. Misaki had no idea why she found it funny, but she simply couldn't stop laughing.

Hideo blinked, and smiled, chuckling along with them.

The rest of the conversation at the restaurant revolved around the stars, and the festival. Hideo seemed quite excited about it, which Misaki could understand. He had never seen it before. Suddenly, a thought filled her mind; Li-kun was Chinese…which meant he had to have celebrated it too. After all, the festival had been taken from Chinese ideals…or at least that's what she learned in school. So did that mean he was celebrating it somewhere in the city? Would she encounter him? Misaki blushed slightly as she ate her Chicken Alfredo.

They stayed in the restaurant for a good hour, but then it was time to go. Misaki had to admit, she had fun, and she had learned a few things about America from Hideo. So, she supposed she could say the WHOLE night hadn't been a waste.

"Weeeeell!" Kanami exclaimed as they walked out of the restaurant. "I know a wonderful little place we can go to before we run off to some last night festivities."

They were STILL going to do something?! Misaki withheld her trademark sigh. "You didn't tell me we were going to do something else. I thought we were just going to go and see some of the parades…"

"Of course not! We have to go and have a little more fun before that time comes right? Stop being such a party pooper, Misaki." Kanami winked, smiling widely.

Hideo, who was completely oblivious to everything it seemed, only shrugged.

"Well…" Misaki looked back and forth between the two. "All right, all right, let's go then."

Kanami beamed, and Hideo grinned.

* * *

Kanami had chosen an amusement park downtown. Apparently they were doing a discount for the Star festival, so naturally, she couldn't resist the temptation to go and act like a child again. Misaki sighed; feeling like this was going to be a waste of time. She was not used to playing around. She was NEVER used to doing that; even when she was a child. She was always so serious…though she did have times when she did revert to acting childish. However, that was only when she was around Li… 

Misaki turned her head, watching Hideo play with his cell phone. It looked like he was texting someone…but she didn't dare stare too long. It wouldn't do for Hideo to think that Misaki was spying on him.

To take her mind off of what he was doing, Misaki looked out the car window. The fake stars in the sky seemed to glisten and shine in the painted blue of the sky above. Misaki squirmed a bit in her seat, feeling uneasy. Today had been too peaceful. No falling stars, no deaths, no nothing…

"Misaki," Kanami said, shifting a bit in her driver's seat as she glanced at her rear view mirror. "You're thinking about something annoying again." She almost sounded as if she was admonishing a child. Misaki scoffed.

"Both of you have to be a little disturbed that nothing bad is happening today."

"A little disturbed?" Hideo raised his head off his window, and yawned, closing his cell phone and sticking it back in his pocket. "Why would I feel that way? I'm happy nothing is going on. That means I can rest and enjoy this festival everyone seems to like."

"But…"

"STOP. THINKING. ABOUT. WORK!" Kanami barked.

Hideo cringed, and looked back out the window, and Misaki simply pouted. NO one wanted to talk about anything interesting in this car.

"Anyway, we're here. Isn't it cute?"

Misaki looked forward, her eyes widening just a bit. The park was not too large; nothing like the theme parks she had seen when she was younger, but it had a certain quality to it that made her feel like a little girl again.

"To be honest, I mainly come here to see that new addition to the park team. He's quite handsome, and his Japanese is very good."

Misaki chuckled dryly. Count on Kanami to go boy chasing. "Is THAT why you came up with this idea?"

"Eeeeh?! Nonsense, Misaki."

Hideo laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "I feel quite awkward listening to you two talk about this..."

"You should have known what you were getting into when you decided to spend the night with two beautiful single women."

Hideo blushed, coughing in his hand.

Misaki laughed despite herself. Hideo always was easy to embarrass. "Oh, stop picking on him, Kanami."

"All right, all right…" she said, giggling.

It took quite a while to find a parking place; twenty minutes to be exact. The park was packed today due to the discount. It was only by a miracle that Kanami's sharp eyes spotted a spot close to the entrance.

As soon as Misaki stepped out of the car, she was assaulted by a barrage of colors, laughter, and music. It was calming, and made her smile despite herself.

"See, this WAS a good idea wasn't it?" Kanami said, nudging Misaki with her elbow.

Misaki put her poker face back on. "I suppose."

"She's in denial," Hideo mumbled, earning a playful glare from Misaki. He smiled at her nervously before walking forward. "Well, we don't have all night. I have to get up early tomorrow for work, so let's get this over with."

"Oi, you're starting to sound like Misaki!" Kanami shouted, running after him.

Misaki shook her head and crossed her arms. Why oh why had she agreed to this? If she wanted, she could slip away right now---but those lights were oh so inviting, as well as the music…

"Misaki! COME ON!" Kanami shouted, waving at her.

There was no way she was getting out of this, and she knew it. No matter how far she ran, Kanami would catch her in the end. She was just that quick.

"Right, right…" Misaki said with a sigh, following after her two friends with her hands in her coat pockets.

The tickets were fairly cheap, much more than Misaki thought they would be. She had wanted to pay her share, but Kanami had insisted she pay all of it.

"I DO have a well paying job after all," she had said.

Misaki had to agree. Her friend was paid quite handsomely for her work…but it still did not make her feel any better. She felt like she was being a moocher; leeching off her best friend's seemingly unlimited money. If she had voiced this out loud however, Kanami and Hideo both would have probably laughed at her.

"Misaki, snap out of it. My goodness you daydream a lot," Kanami said, placing her hands on her hips.

Misaki blinked, taking off her glasses and cleaning them on her shirt. "Uh, oh, sorry. I was just thinking about how nice it is here."

"Too bad there's nothing but kids here…" Hideo grumbled, releasing a long, long sigh.

Misaki looked around. He was right. There WAS nothing but children everywhere. They weren't that young though. Mainly kids in their late teens. There were probably some adults somewhere in that stream of human bodies…

"Uh….erm….I suppose I should have expected this," Kanami said, rubbing her arm. "It doesn't matter though. Let's just enjoy ourselves all right?"

"Well…"

"No 'wells', just do it." Kanami began to walk away, but Misaki stopped her.

"Where are you headed?"

"To look for someone. When I find him I'll introduce you."

Misaki pouted and narrowed her eyes. Kanami was more than likely going boy hunting as usual. She watched as Kanami disappeared in the swarm of people and sighed. Now what was she going to do?

"Misaki, I'll be back. I need to use the restroom…if I can find it…" Hideo looked around, walking off as well.

"So, everyone leaves me." She sighed again. Now not only was she alone, but she had nothing to do as well.

_I could go on a ride…_ she thought. But rides were really no fun by yourself; actually amusement parks in general were no fun alone.

"Kirihara-san?"

Misaki looked around. Who was talking to her? She shook her head. It was probably someone else…

"Oi, Misaki."

This time, she turned around, almost gasping in shock. "John-san! What are you doing here?"

John raised an eyebrow, seeming a bit startled by her outburst. She couldn't blame him. She probably looked a bit crazed at the moment. "I work here."

"Uh…oh…um…well then, it's nice to see you again."

John nodded. "So what brings YOU here?" he said, walking past her. She took that as a sign to follow, so she did just that.

"I came here with some friends, but one wandered off, and another had to go to the restroom."

John laughed. "That's a bit sad, Kirihara-san. I'm guessing you were here with Ishizaki-san."

"W-What? How did you know that?" Misaki's eyes narrowed. Was he following her? Was he the person that BK-201 had been talking about?

"Well, she ALWAYS comes here. I guess sometimes she just needs someone to talk to, and I just so happen to be the one she enjoys having conversations with."

So John was the person that Kanami had wandered off to see? It made sense in a way. John stopped, sitting down on a bench near the Ferris wheel. He pat the seat next to him with a smile. "I'll stay with you while you're waiting for your friend to come out the bathroom. Kanami is probably going to be wandering around for a while, and well…it's rather dull sitting alone at a amusement park."

Misaki smiled, sitting down next to him, and clasping her hands together in her lap. "Thank you, John-san."

"No problem. It's my job to make people happy."

Misaki sighed, looking up at the sky. Once again, she wished the stars were real…

"It's sad you know…knowing those stars are all fake," John said, voicing her inner thoughts aloud.

"Yes…it is rather sad…"

"And to think you all still do the Star Festival despite that."

Misaki looked over at him. He knew about the festival? He was quite a well informed foreigner. "You know of the festival?"

"Of course. In getting a job here, I made it a priority to learn as much as I could about this country. I didn't want to feel anymore out of place than I already was."

"Ah…I see…"

John yawned, crossing his arms. "Kirihara-san, you work for the police right?"

"Yes, that's right. Where did you hear that?"

"Li. He talks about you every now and then. It sounds like he cares about you a lot…"

"Oh? R-Really?" Misaki knew she was as red as a tomato, but thankfully the lights at the amusement park shined random colors on her face so John couldn't tell.

"Yep. You're blushing aren't you?" he said playfully, gently nudging her side with his elbow.

Misaki turned an ever brighter shade of red if that was possible.

John laughed, the sound blocking out the noise of the park. Misaki looked at him, smiling gently. His laugh was comforting; almost like listening to soft music. He shook his head, wiping a tear from his eye. "It's been a while since I've laughed like that. You're awfully fun to talk to, I suppose that's why he enjoys being around you so much."

Misaki was quiet, unable to voice anything she was thinking. All of this was making her extremely embarrassed as well as curious. Did Li think about her as much as she did him?

John watched her from the corner of his eyes, his smile still glued on his face. "You know, last time I checked, Li was wandering about with some little telescope not too far from here."

This instantly caught Misaki's attention. "What?! Where?!"

John chuckled with an amused smirk on his face "He's here at the park. Now where I saw him….I'm not sure. He could have moved by now."

Misaki's excitement was crushed by those words. "Oh…"

John was silent for a while before he spoke up once again; this time his voice was lowered and he seemed to be in deep thought. "What is your relationship with Li? You two don't seem to be dating, and yet there is something stronger than friendship radiating off the both of you. I would say you remind me of siblings…but even that doesn't seem to fit."

"W-What? I…well…we're just friends…"

"Just friends?" he said, closing his eyes and leaning back on the bench. "Is that all?"

"Uh, y-yes of course." Misaki couldn't get rid of that annoying stuttering. It practically screamed that there was more going on…but there honestly wasn't.

"Ah, I see."

"You don't believe me do you?"

"Oh no, of course I do, Kirihara-san."

Misaki pouted. That faint hint of amusement had not disappeared from John's voice. "John-san, what is Li to you?"

John blinked, looking over at her as if she had grown a second head. Well…perhaps the question had come out a little odd…

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you seem like you view Li as a brother or something. I sorta guessed that after watching the both of you talking…"

John laughed. "How very perceptive. You live up to your rank, Kirihara-san. Yes, I do in a way. When I first moved to that apartment complex, Li was the one who helped me get situated. I even call him di di sometimes, mainly just to annoy him…"

"Di…di?"

"It's Chinese for little brother…" he smiled fondly. However, his eyes reflected another emotion; something that looked much like despair.

Misaki wanted to question why he seemed so sad…but she shook her head, removing such a thought. It was not any of her business.

John yawned, his eyes taking on a cold look; almost as if he was calculating something in his mind…of course that could not have been the case…right?

"John-san, what are you thinking about?"

"Work…"

"Eh? Really? You seem…a bit sad."

John smiled wryly. "Ah, I was just thinking about what wish I was going to make." He looked up at the sky.

"A wish? That's what's making you sad?" Misaki wasn't buying the lie. There was more going on.

"Yes. The stars make me feel so down when I look at them. Sometimes I feel as if those stars represent people in this world…and every time I see one fall, I wonder if someone died somewhere…"

Misaki stared at John, her mouth agape. "What gives you that idea?"

"I don't know. It just…feels right. Stars fall so often here, that I wonder if there's more to them than just being fake…"

_How sharp… _Misaki thought. To come up with such a conclusion like that without knowing anything about Contractors was…incredible. Was there more to this man than met the eye? No…no, he was just a normal curious man, much like Li. She knew she was lying to herself. Li and John were enigmas…and as such she needed to keep an eye on them. It hurt Misaki to think of Li as anything other than a close friend, but for now, he was a suspect.

_I wonder…if Hook knows something…_she thought, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"So, what are you going to wish for, Kirihara-san?"

Misaki sighed. She had not really thought of that… "Well…I…haven't done this in a while, so I'm not sure I'll remember what to do."

"Hmm…well we both seem to be in the same boat. Perhaps your friends will help you."

She knew they would…well Kanami anyway. Hideo would probably be just as lost as she was.

"Kirihara-san…have you noticed anything peculiar about Li-kun?"

Misaki blinked, turning to fully face John. This question came out of nowhere. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's always working on some job or other. He changes jobs more than any normal person I know."

"Well…maybe he's soul searching?"

"Hah! Li-kun doesn't need to do that…" There it was; that same bitterness she heard earlier.

"John-san, are you angry at Li-kun?"

John sighed. "A little. He needs to find a steady job instead of moving around constantly. It makes me a bit jealous to tell the truth…"

Jealous? What ever would he need to be jealous of? "John-san, why do you feel that way?"

John laughed, shaking his head. "Li-kun…seems to be a survivor. He can handle any situation with ease, and make anyone his friend...it makes me sick..." John's hands clenched into fists and his eyes narrowed. Something was off…very off, but Misaki could not figure out what it was.

"Eh? Why would that bother you so much?"

John's anger seemed to evaporate in the wind. "Oh...well...it's just annoying is all."

Misaki blinked. How could that be annoying?

"Li is too trusting for his own good...that's what upsets me."

Ah, so that was the problem. "Well...Li-kun can't help being himself."

John laughed bitterly. "Being himself? If only you knew...if only you knew..."

Those cryptic words bothered Misaki. What could he mean by that? She wanted to ask him that...but instead said something a bit less nosey. "We barely know each other, and yet you're telling me so much about how you feel, and your worries...why?"

"I don't know," John answered honestly. "Perhaps because you seemed like you would listen. Any friend of Li's had to be a good person right?" His frown was soon replaced by a brilliant smile that seemed to put Misaki's doubts at ease. "Thank you for listening. I don't have many people I can just sit down and talk to."

"Oh, it was no problem. I'm glad to have been of some service."

John nodded. "Well, I better go help Sayu-chan before she thinks I abandoned her to the "wolves" again." He chuckled.

"Very well. Hideo should be coming back soon…unless he got sick from the food we ate earlier."

John winced. "Poor guy…" he looked off in the distance for a while, and then spoke again. "Well see you later. I hope to be able to talk to you again soon. Oh, and if you see Li next time, please keep an eye on him. I'm worried." He bowed politely and then walked away.

Misaki watched him feeling a bit sad again. After having that conversation with John, she was now starting to worry about Li as well. Why was he switching jobs so much? She could understand discontent with doing one job for too long…but to constantly run around doing other tedious jobs was just odd. And then there were John's strange words...what did he mean by them?

As soon as he left, Kanami showed up along with Hideo who looked rather sick.

"Welcome back you two."

Kanami grumbled, and Hideo tried to force a smile. He looked really horrible---and…wait was that a bucket he was holding in front of his face?

"Uh…Hideo-kun, are you sick?"

"N-No I'm fine…"

"He's not fine. He keeps throwing up. It got so bad that the workers gave him a bucket. I think we should take him home."

"Yes, that would be best," Misaki said, looking at Hideo with unabashed sympathy for a while before glancing back at Kanami. "Did you find your friend, Kanami?"

Kanami shook her head, sighing. "No, apparently he was being lazy and didn't show up…again."

Misaki wanted to say that she HAD seen who she was looking for, but decided to keep that information to herself. John seemed like he had a lot of mind at the moment, so throwing Kanami at him didn't seem like such a good idea.

"S-Sorry, Ishizaki-san…" Hideo said, gulping back bile. Misaki cringed.

"Oh it's no problem. We'll just have to stick with you and make sure you're all right for a few hours. If we can't go do festivities, we'll have to do it at YOUR house, Hideo-kun. It's the least you can do." Kanami beamed and then sighed. "Honestly, to think you got food poisoning…"

"The food tasted fine to me..." Misaki said, patting Hideo on the back. The man gulped, turning a sickly green color. Though she did not voice it out loud, she felt horrible for the poor young man. He really did look terrible…

"About these tickets…" Misaki mumbled, glancing at Kanami as they walked out of the amusement park.

"No worries. I spoke to the manager. We can come back whenever we're able."

"Wow that's nice of him."

"Well, this park is known for its good service, so what he did was normal."

Hideo gulped again, saying a stream of apologies, even as they stepped into the car and drove off for his house. Of course he was ignored by both of the women who had long since blocked him out of their minds.

As Kanami had promised, they spent the rest of the Star Festival at Hideo's apartment, tying their wish papers to bamboo, hanging them outside the door as tradition dictated, and watching some parades on TV. When Kanami asked what it was Misaki wished for, she answered the only way she could. She wished that she could see the old stars again without the fake ones fading away.

For some odd reason, Hideo did not seem so sick anymore when she said that. Instead, he frowned slightly, a very pensive look crossing his face as he stared at the stars outside the apartment balcony window.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, anyone have any idea why John asked Misaki all those questions? He didn't do it for the fun of doing it you know. **–nudge, nudge- **

This chapter was mainly a downtime one for Misaki. I swear I'm killing her with work, so I gave her a break. I'm so nice. xD Actually, I did this chapter as a means to show just how much Misaki misses out doing fun things due to her work, and also for her to speak with John without Li overhearing. I'm sure he wouldn't have been happy about the discussion… **-begins working on the next chapter-**

Oh yes, you guys should listen to the DTB soundtrack. It has an awesome blend of jazz, and it's quite comforting to listen to especially if you have homework or you're working on a fic. It seriously gives you ideas, no joke.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Review Reply Corner:_**

**Nina P. - **There's a really good reason why he acts the way he does. Hopefully this chapter will help you figure it out. If not, you can always wait until I do my other fanfic. xD Very good, Nina. Yes, he IS up to something very conniving. In the past he betrayed---ANYWHO, moving on... **-laughs evilly- **My goodness I'm so mean. Well, there's your half-hint.

* * *

"We're not sure the exact time of death, but we'd have to say that we believe he was killed yesterday," Sakeda said as he scribbled notes in his notebook. 

"During the Star Festival?" Saitou asked, crossing his arms and looking rather grim as he gazed down at the dead body lying under a tree. Though the old man's throat had been slit, he looked rather peaceful. A small smile was one his face despite his gruesome demise.

"Yes, that would be correct. No one would suspect a murder during such a time, so it would be a perfect time to kill someone."

"Was anything taken off of him?" Misaki asked, bending down a little so she was face to face with the dead body.

"No, not from what we've seen. He still has his wallet on him, so I'm guessing this was not a murder for money," Sakeda replied, still scribbling away.

"Akira-san…this old man looks familiar…" Misaki mumbled, narrowing her eyes just a bit.

"You don't know who he is?" Sakeda said a bit shocked. He looked around at Misaki's teammates with pure confusion.

"Uh…are we supposed to know?" Kouno asked, standing as far from the corpse as he could.

"YES! All of you should know!" Sakeda barked, making everyone jump. The older man always did have a short temper to go along with his strict appearance.

"I know who he is."

Misaki looked over her shoulder and smiled slightly as Matsumoto came closer to the scene of the crime. He had just came back to Tokyo last night, but he was already quickly absorbing all that had happened while he was away. Misaki would never say it, but was she was proud to have the man in her group.

"Well, I suppose we older folk would know." Sakeda sighed. "This man is Ryu Nakoshi. He used to be a well known scientist who studied the effects of certain drugs on the human body for the government. Nakoshi had made some muscle drugs when he was younger, but never really shared how he made it with anyone not even his own colleagues. Apparently the drugs were unstable and made whoever used them dependent on them to the point of psychosis."

"Psychosis, huh?" Misaki mumbled. "This man must have retired because I've never heard about him."

"Actually he quit," Matsumoto replied. "He did not like making weapons for the government, so he left and decided to work as a pharmacist instead."

"From killer to miracle worker…This sounds too good to be true. If he was really so good…then why was he murdered?" Kouno inquired, saying the question everyone was thinking. Why WAS this old man killed? Did he know too much? What was it?

"Do you think that he was dabbing into more than just being a pharmacist?" Sakeda said as he stared down at the dead body darkly.

"I don't know…anything could have been going on," Kouno said honestly.

Sakeda nodded, closing his notebook and waving the cleanup crew over. "Well, I'll take this body back to the morgue and see if there was more to this murder than a slit throat, but in all honesty, I highly doubt it. Now then, good luck to all of you in figuring this out."

"Thank you," Misaki mumbled, standing up and rubbing her temples. Another mystery to add to her already growing list. If this kept up, she was going to go insane.

"Chief…what are we going to do now?" Matsumoto said quietly.

Misaki crossed her arms. It as the same old routine. She finds a dead body, Akira-san checks it, and then she heads back to the base for further deep thought, or at least until she's contacted again. Nothing had changed. So why was it her men still asked her the same exact questions? "We'll head back to the base and I'll speak to Hourai-san."

"Ah, that sounds like a good idea…" Matsumoto nodded, walking back towards his car with Kouno. Saitou lingered behind, watching Misaki nervously.

"What is it, Saitou-san?"

"Uh…w-well…n-nothing." He bowed deeply, and then ran off after the two officers.

Misaki blinked, raising an eyebrow as he disappeared, but then turned her attention back to the benevolent looking old man who was being zipped up inside a body bag. Did that Tengu masked man kill him? Judging by the expression on the old man's face, he had either been asleep and dreaming something rather nice before he was killed or he KNEW death was coming for him. The latter made sense.

"Ryu Nakoshi…" she mumbled, memorizing the name for further study as she turned heel and walked back to her car.

* * *

"Another peculiar death. This mystery will never end…" Hourai growled. He was gazing angrily out his window at the cars down below. 

"Yes, afraid so. Sir, do you know anything about Ryu Nakoshi?"

Hourai sighed. "I met him a few times. He was quite a brilliant old man. It's a real shame he's dead."

Misaki was silent, staring firmly at her chief's back.

"He made many drugs that became useful to the medical world, but he also made weapons out of them as well. He was highly valued by the government. His drugs were exceedingly important during the Heaven's Gate incident.'

So, this old man's drugs must have been quite powerful if the government used them for THAT incident. "So he was involved in that?"

"He was not directly involved, but his drugs did circulate."

Misaki bit her lip. Well that explained everything. This old man DID know too much. Maybe that's why he had been killed. She had a strong feeling that Hook and his partner were involved in this. If only she could call him….

"If you want more information, go ask Hideo to get it for you. He should be in his office…sleeping…." Hourai sighed.

Misaki held back a chuckle. Hideo was trouble incarnate, but the Chief couldn't get rid of him due to the fact that he was so useful; despite the fact he slept for what seemed like twenty four hours straight. Hideo said he had a sleeping disorder, and well, medical tests did show that was his problem…so perhaps making fun of him wasn't the nicest thing for her to do.

"I thought he was off for sick leave?"

"Apparently he really wanted to come to work today, so I allowed him to do so. Besides, we need that kid. He's a genius I must admit…though that sleeping problem of his is a bit annoying."

Misaki saluted her chief and then promptly left the room for Hideo's office on the floor below. Hopefully he wasn't asleep. It was near impossible to wake him up when he was…

* * *

Hideo's office was sickeningly clean as usual. His stacks of papers were alphabetized and his desk was sparkling clean. One would assume that Hideo was a neat freak just from one glance at him with his neatly trimmed hair and his pressed uniform. Misaki had grown to know that Hideo's office was only clean because he was bored most of the time. Usually he was only needed whenever someone needed information on a case, or even his opinion. There had been talk that he was going to be promoted soon, but that was only a rumor… 

"Hideo-kun, I need you to do me a favor."

Hideo stopped his game of Pac-man and looked over his shoulder, blushing with embarrassment. Once again, he was caught goofing off. "Uh…hello, Kirihara-san…um…you didn't---."

"See anything," she finished for him, smiling. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me…though I wish you would work a little harder."

"S-Sorry…" he smiled weakly. "Um, what can I do for you?"

Misaki yawned. "Um, I want you to look up information on Ryu Nakoshi."

"Ryu Nakoshi?" Hideo looked up at the ceiling as if thinking the name over before he began to furiously type on his computer. In a matter of seconds, a file appeared with old man in questions face on it. "Well, here he is."

Misaki leaned on Hideo's chair, leaning forward a little. All the information on this file were things she already knew. She growled with frustration.

"Uh, is there something you're looking for in particular?" Hideo cringed when Misaki fixed him with a long, long stare, her eyes narrowing in contemplation.

"Hideo-kun, do you know anything about this man?"

Hideo blushed a little. "Um…I read about him once. I was bored you see so….um….erm, what do you want to know?"

"Was Nakoshi involved in anything illegal?" She went straight to the point. Hideo's nervous expression soon became serious and pensive.

"Well, there's a rumor that he was working with some type of underground syndicate, but it's only a rumor. I wouldn't take it seriously. People talked about the man for a long time, even after he grew gray hair. It was like some sick fascination with trying to figure out what that old man did in his free time."

"Do you think he was involved in something?"

"In all honesty, yes I do."

Misaki nodded. Good, they agreed. "Does Nakoshi have any family?"

Hideo looked back at the computer screen, typing something in at blinding speed before pushing 'enter'. Instantly, information on the old man's family appeared. "Nakoshi had two daughters."

"Had?"

"Uh…yes. The first and eldest daughter was killed in a car crash, and the youngest was killed due to a drug overdose."

Misaki stroked her chin. This all sounded odd. It almost sounded as if these deaths were not accidents… "Any collegues of his who are still alive?"

Hideo typed again, information instantly popping up. "Well, he worked with two people. Hitomi Takeda and Akihiko Remu."

"Where are they located?"

Hideo frowned, clicking off the page and regarding Misaki with a serious expression. "I can't tell you that. It's classified."

"Classified? By the government?"

Hideo nodded. "Just giving out a little piece of information about their location without permission could get us both jail time."

"Really?" Misaki exclaimed. "For something as harmless as this?"

"That's right. It's that serious." Hideo took out his cell phone, quickly sending a text message to someone. The speed at which he did it was incredible. Misaki was a decent texter herself, but Hideo made her look like a child.

"I see…" Misaki looked out the window, frowning. So, she was at a dead end again. How was she supposed to look into this if she couldn't talk to Nakoshi's friends? "Thank you, Hideo-kun. You have been a big help."

"No problem. Anytime, Kirihara-san," he said, sticking his cell phone back in his pocket.

Misaki bowed and left him alone in his office, no sooner had she left before her phone began to vibrate. With a sigh she flipped it open. It was almost lunchtime so maybe Saitou was probably going to invite her to go out with him and Kouno, or even Matsumoto if he wanted to come. He was so predictable.

"Moshi, moshi."

"Hello, police woman."

Misaki's eyes widened. "Hook!" she whispered.

"Yes, that's right."

"What do you want?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to tell you that BK-201 is going to kill someone today."

"What?" she said, trying her best to keep her voice low. Talking to Hook outside Hideo's office did not seem like such a bright idea; actually talking out in the hallway wasn't a good idea period. Looking around to see if she was being followed, Misaki went into the women's bathroom. "Why are you telling me this?"

"It's important. This person is someone we need alive."

"Why don't you and your friend protect this mysterious person then?" she hissed.

"We would if we could, but my partner is currently out of commission due to…problems. He won't be able to do anything in his condition."

"So you're using me now…" Misaki couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice, and Hook gave her a deep chuckle.

"That's right. Let's just say that if you stay useful and less nosey, we won't be bothering you. Who knows, we may even help you accomplish your goal of capturing BK-201."

They would? That sounded too good to be true…"Where will this murder be happening?"

"A hotel in the Shinjuku district."

"Shinjuku again…" she whispered. This brought back déjà vu. The drama with Hook and his partner, and the murder of those foreigners...wait a minute, did this mean that Hook and his partner were in Shinjuku?! She would have to keep this information to herself until she could prove it. "What's the name of the hotel?"

"Rihga Royal."

Misaki was quiet, absorbing everything she was told. "Hook, what is your goal? And who do you work for? What is the point of this mindless killing?"

"Mindless? Well, I suppose it is rather mindless in a way. However, we kill because that is what we do. What else can Contractors do to survive? If we're paid a bit of cash by anyone, we'll do just about any type of job, even if it involves murder, or torture. My organization is known of your business, and quite frankly, it's best you don't know about it."

"B-But, w-well…" Misaki sputtered, sounding like a fool. Hook laughed,, the deep sound ringing in her ears.

"Kirihara, you are much too kind for your own good. Watch yourself. You have enemies that are even bigger than me and my colleagues."

"What do you mean?"

"There are people near you that are apart of a group just as dangerous as my own. What's funny, is that you don't even realize that you're..." Hook stopped laughing as if what he said was absolutely hilarious. It may have been funny to the Contractor, but it certainly was not funny to Misaki.

"What are you talking about?"

"The less you know, the happier you are. Besides, you don't need to know right now. Ignorance is bliss they say. You may end up getting killed if you find out too early. That organization is just as heartless as mine, if not more." Hook didn't say anything more after that. Instead, he promptly hung up.

Misaki smiled grimly. She didn't call Hook out on what he said, but it seemed there were more people here on his team than just him and the Tengu masked man. Did that mean it was an organization that was involved? If so, who? Was it the EPR? The group had come about a few weeks ago…so it did look like it added up. However, Hook and his partner were doing things that seemed to contradict what EPR was trying to accomplish. What really bothered her was what the dog Contractor had said before about some dangerous organization.

Though her thoughts were chaotic, there was one that made her smile. It always appeared when she was starting to become unsure of herself.

_Justice will prevail, so don't hesitate in your decisions._

Yes, justice would prevail in the end. It was only a matter of time. She may not discover who these people were now, or tomorrow, or even a month from now, but she would catch them eventually, just as she would eventually catch BK-201.

She was about to close her phone when a text message appeared.

_Have your men ready at the hotel in 22:00 tonight. That is usually when the person you're supposed to protect is in their room. A partner of mine looked into it, so it's legit information._

He confirmed what she had thought. He DID have another partner. "All right…" she whispered aloud, though she honestly did not know why.

* * *

The hotel was busy from what Misaki saw. People were hurrying about to meet clients for who knows what, and some people were checking into their rooms for a good nights rest. It was late, so much so that Misaki wondered why people were still up and about. She could feel sleep wanting to claim her just from watching them hustle and bustle around like busy little bees. 

Misaki and the others were waiting in a hidden location near the hotel. It would not do for BK-201 to see them and thus forgo his assassination attempt. This may be her only chance to catch him, and catch him she would. This game of cat and mouse had gone on long enough. It had been fairly fun, she would admit, but all things must come to an end…

"Chief," Matsumoto said with a faint whisper.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure this anonymous tipper didn't lie to you? It's past the designated time."

Misaki looked at her watch. It was ten minutes past the time… "Well…let's just wait a few more minutes."

Matsumoto did not look too happy, but she did not blame him. Hook barely gave her any information except to be at the hotel at a certain time. Who was she supposed to be protecting? She couldn't do her job if she didn't know the person's name. She did not even know what gender the person was…

"Can't you call that anonymous tipper back?" Kouno asked, picking some lint off his red jacket. "I mean, we can't really do anything without having a bit more information. The Chief is going to be angry at us for not alerting the station…"

"I know, I know. If we get in trouble, just say that I ordered you to accompany me."

Kouno sighed. "Like I'd really do that, Chief. We're in this together. If you fall, we all do."

"Agreed," Saitou said, beaming happily at his chief.

Misaki smiled faintly, looking elsewhere so her men could not see it. What she was doing was highly risky. Just bringing Kouno, Saitou, and Matsumoto with her did seem a bit rash, but if she brought more people, it would attract more attention; negative attention. Perhaps she was being foolish in doing this, but what else could she do? This seemed like the best course of action.

She almost jumped when she saw the power go out in the hotel. As soon as it happened, screams sounded everywhere in pure panic from inside.

"Well, there's our cue!" Misaki shouted, taking out her handgun. Her men nodded, pulling out their guns as well as they dashed towards the hotel.

She had almost made it to the door when he phone began to vibrate. As quickly as she could, she flipped it open, reading it as she ran.

_Room 323. Third Floor. Careful, BK-201 has a bullet proof jacket. You'll be hell pressed in shooting him. You'll get a little help, so no worries though._

Misaki bit back a scoff. So NOW Hook sends her more information! He certainly took his time didn't he?

"Room 323 is where our target is! Hurry! He's on the third floor!" she screamed as soon as they ran inside.

The hotel manager was trying to calm the few panicking individuals the best he could as backup lights came on. The people who were panicking in the temporary darkness calmed a bit allowing Misaki to catch the man's attention and flash her badge in his direction. Whether he saw it or not, was not her concern. Right now, she needed to save someone, and that was all that mattered.

Misaki and the others had to run up the stairs as quickly as they could. Since she was unsure of whether the backup power for the hotel reached the elevators as well, this seemed to be the best course of action. By the time they reached the floor they wanted, her team was completely out of breath, not used to having to do things like this. If she hadn't of known better…she would had swore that BK-201's goal was to make them tired. It was farfetched…but perhaps, just perhaps, it was not too off the dot.

"Room 323 is this way, Chief!" Kouno yelled sprinting down the left hallway.

Some people were coming out of their rooms to see what the ruckus was, but Saitou and Matsumoto quickly shouted for them to go back in their rooms. In terror and confusion, the hotel residents did just that.

When they reached the room, Misaki fought the urge to kick the door down. Should she? Was the person behind it already in trouble…or worse, dead? Doing what she was trained to do in this situation, she knocked firmly.

"Open up! Police!"

It took a while, but eventually a haughty-looking older woman with jet black hair opened the door. She was still dressed in a business suit, which showed that she had just stepped into her room not too long ago.

"Can I help you?" she asked, though a bit warily.

"Uh…" Misaki looked past her shoulder. There was nothing odd going on in the room. She saw pajamas folded carefully on the woman's bed, and some cleaning supplies, but that was about it. "We…we received a tip that there was going to be a murder here…"

"A murder? My heavens!" the woman exclaimed. "Why would there be a murder here? I don't have any enemies."

Misaki looked back at her men, who were watching the scene with confusion and a bit of exasperation. Did Hook lie to her?

"Now then if you don't mind, I was about to take a bath." The woman was about to close the door, but Misaki shoved her foot in the doorway.

"Sorry, Miss, but we need to check your room."

The woman narrowed her murky brown eyes, but did not argue.

Misaki and the others stepped into the room, examining it with the professionalism gained over the years of police work. They didn't find anything out of the ordinary.

"See? There's nothing wrong."

Misaki sighed, forced to agree. Hook had probably lied to her. Why had she listened to that Contractor? "Sorry…please forgive us."

The woman nodded stiffly and ushered them out. "I appreciate your concern."

Misaki nodded gently and bowed, but the door was already closed. _Some appreciation…_she thought bitterly.

"Well…uh…Chief…" Saitou said, sounding a bit uncertain about what he should say. She didn't blame him. She had no idea what they were supposed to do either.

"It's all right. I was lied to, I know…"

Kouno and Matsumoto did not say anything. Prehaps because they knew Misaki did not really want to talk. She was embarrassed, and angry at herself for believing the words of a murderous Contractor. This had probably been a trick to keep her busy while Hook and his partners went about doing illegal activities.

_I'm such a fool…_

"Chief…" Kouno said.

"Yes, I know. Come on, let's go."

She had barely made it halfway down the hallway before something made her stop. No…this was too odd. Something did not feel right. Suddenly, the lights went out again, and the whole area was put in complete darkness.

"Shit!" Kouno shouted. "Damn, I can't see!"

Misaki almost slapped herself on the head. Why hadn't she brought a flashlight or something? Not that she had any idea this was going to be happening… "Everyone! Take out your cell phones! We'll use that light! Come on!"

Her officers did as they were told, the light from their cell phones, though meager, was enough to help them make it back to the room in question. Misaki banged on the door. "Miss! Please open up!"

The woman could be heard yelling and complaining long before she threw her door open. Faint light from lamps could be seen. The room had to be one of the only ones well lit.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone!" the woman screamed, glaring daggers at Misaki.

"I…you're in danger! You need to come with us right now!"

"And why should I do that?"

"I already told you!" Misaki shouted in frustration. She grabbed the woman's arm, trying to drag her out into the hallway. Her actions were against protocol, but this was serious. Another second and this woman would probably be murdered.

"Let me GO! Don't touch me!" the woman shouted, trying to yank her arm free.

Misaki was going to shout something back at her when the window near the woman's bed shattered and a familiar figure could be seen covered in glass; their white mask sparkling in the meager light like a star; BK-201.

The woman quickly yanked her arm out of Misaki's grip and spun around in terror, but a wire flew around her neck, dragging her to the ground.

Things were happening so fast, that a normal person who was not trained in such a situation would have probably gone into shock, but not Misaki, and not her fellow officers. As quickly as she could, she fired. However, BK-201 simply blocked his face with his jacket, the bullets falling harmlessly on the floor.

"What the hell?!" Matsumoto shouted. "A bullet proof jacket?!"

BK-201 glowed an eerie blue; red eyes seen from behind his white mask. Misaki knew what was about to happen, and though she would later regret her action, she did the only thing she could think of; she grabbed a hold of the wire.

"Stop it, Li-kun!" she shouted. When she realized what she had just said, her eyes widened. Why had she called BK-201 'Li-kun'? She had been thinking about the young man a lot…so perhaps that's why?

BK-201 instantly stopped his power.

"Chief!" Misaki heard someone shout. She was too terrified to care who it was that called her. All she could do was stare straight into empty eye sockets of the mask, trying to see what emotions were flickering inside.

During that brief moment of hesitation and confusion, something knocked BK-201 to the ground. He struggled to his feet, looking around the room before he was knocked over once again.

Misaki stared. What was going on? Wait…Hook was trying to distract BK-201 for her! That was the only explanation she had for his bizarre movements.

A stray bullet from behind Misaki hit BK-201 on the mask while he was busy, shattering a part of it. It was not enough for her to truly see who it was behind the mask, but her eyes widened in slight recognition.

"Hold your fire!" Misaki shouted, holding her hand out. Saitou and the others instantly obeyed her orders even though she had a feeling that they did not really want to.

"Hei!" Two people shouted from the hallway. One of the voices was familiar, though it sounded a bit strained and tired, and the other sounded like it came from an older man.

She wanted to whirl around and see who the two new intruders were; however, a split second later smoke began to fill the room.

Misaki coughed and sputtered, covering her eyes and trying to keep the burning sensation from the smoke from affecting her. When the smoke had finally cleared, there was no sign of BK-201 to be found. All that was left was his wire still attached to the woman lying on the ground, sobbing.

"He got away…" Saitou mumbled, sighing with uncontained relief.

Kouno cursed and Matsumoto clenched his fists in frustration. They had been so close; so close to capturing the notorious Black Reaper…and now he had disappeared. There was no point in searching for him. Misaki knew that they would never find him in the dark hallway now that the backup lights were still out.

Misaki sighed, taking out a small knife she was required to carry around, and cutting the wire away from the frightened woman's neck.

"W-What the hell?! Who was that?" the woman cried, covering her face with her hands. She completely ignored the horrible red marks around her neck where the wire had tightened its fierce grip on her a while ago.

Misaki was quiet, unsure if answering was a good idea. All she could do was gently hug the poor woman and try to comfort her. "Matsumoto, please call an ambulance…"

The older man nodded, dialing the number.

"Chief…" Kouno said. "Why did you call BK-201 'Li-kun'?"

Misaki shook her head, patting the woman on the back. "I don't know. I guess because I was thinking of him at the time, and well, his name sort of slipped out…"

Kouno seemed pleased with that answer, or maybe he just thought it was best not to ask anymore questions right now considering the circumstances.

Kouno and Saitou both came closer; bending down and trying to comfort the woman as well. Misaki gently let go; allowing the two men to do their job as she stood up and walked over to the broken window by the bed. She looked out of it, wondering exactly why BK-201 had tried to kill the poor, sobbing woman. Better yet…why did he hesitate in killing both Misaki and his target?

Misaki's thoughts were destroyed when her phone vibrated. She flipped it open.

_Good job, Miss Kirihara. You did excellent. It's a shame that Hei got away, but alas, there was nothing that could be done. They'll be other opportunities. _

With a sigh, she texted back. _Thank you…for being a distraction, Hook. Hei…is that his name? _she sent back. To tell the truth, she hoped that WAS his name. She was still shaken by the fact that she had called BK-201 'Li'. Though she only saw a part of his face…he looked so familiar…

_We don't know his real name. That's simply a codename. _

Misaki sighed. Hei…didn't that mean black? It matched him quite well considering he was almost the reincarnation of death itself.

Misaki wondered if she should question Hook some more, but thought against it. There was no reason to do that. He was just going to ignore her, or warn her away…

As soon as she was done contemplating, she took out her hand radio and called for backup. She was going to get an earful when she got back...and just when it was almost time for her shift to be over…

_That face…it looked a lot like Li-kun's…._ Misaki thought, closing her eyes. Though she did not wish to admit it, deep down inside, she was beginning to see Li in a different light. Was he really the person she thought he was? Or…was he actually a murderer? She couldn't believe that such a kind face could turn cold and cruel within a second. Li was just too gentle, gullible, silly, and…well…everything that she considered good. No one with such an optimistic expression on their face could be a Contractor…

She kept thinking this in her head even when backup arrived and took over the scene. Misaki could feel that she was going to be brooding over this for a while, and more than likely would not be getting much sleep…

* * *

**A/N: **Whew. This was a mega hard chapter because there was just so much going on. xD I had to do loads of research on it. I even looked up Japanese time (which is military). 22:00 is 10:00 p.m **–nods-** Cool, huh? LoL, yeah I have too much free time. 

Anyway, any thoughts on why Ryu Nakoshi was killed? And who those two mysterious people were that saved Hei? Virtual Halloween candy for the winners! xDDD Ooooh, and thanks a bunch for the reviews again. I know I say that a lot, but seriously, you guys are all awesome. Those who didn't review, you're awesome too, so don't think I don't care about all of you as well.


	10. Chapter 10

**_Review Reply Corner:_**

**Nina P. - **LOL. I'm so sorry. I just couldn't help myself. xDDD Yes you are correct about the drug thing and why Nakoshi-san was killed. It's all right. No one has been able to figure out who the two mysterious people were. LoL, yes this chapter is chalked full of LiMisa moments. OH yes, I forgot!** -throws around Halloween candy- **

* * *

Three days had passed since that incident at Rihga Royal. The woman that Misaki was said to protect turned out to be Vice President of the Taisho Pharmaceutical company by the name of Kin Matsuda. The higher ups at the Station tried their absolute best to cover up what had happened at the hotel, and even paid both Matsuda as well as the hotel owner in coming up with lies about what had happened. Thankfully, it was so dark that most people would not have known what had gone on. 

Misaki sat up in her bed, staring at the fake story put together in the newspaper about the drama. They said that there was an attempted robbery, and that's why the power had been out; including the smoke grenade that had gone off in the building. The story worked perfectly. No one had went against what was said thanks to Matsuda's story. The woman seemed quite good at cover ups…too good in fact….

Misaki looked over at her alarm clock. 10:00 in the morning. She sighed. Well, what was she going to do today? Kanami wanted to sleep the day away, and everyone else…well, she didn't even bother to call anyone else.

She closed the newspaper and sat it on the stand next to her bed, and began comparing Li to BK-201 without meaning to. She shook her head viciously. How could she even think of Li as a murderer?! She refused to believe it…she couldn't believe it. It was horrible of her to even think that. Yes, BK-201's face favored Li's a little…but it was fairly dark in Matsuda's room. Maybe she only saw what she wanted to see? That's it…she was seeing things. Besides, all she saw was a part of his face, not the whole thing. It was best not to jump to conclusions about something as serious as this.

She sighed, ridding her head of such horrible thoughts. Today was a lovely day. Why was she STILL thinking about this? Three days of moping should have been enough…

"I need to see Li-kun," she said out loud. Why? She was unsure. All she knew was that she NEEDED to see him; to talk to him, anything! He had become like a drug in a way. Whenever she felt down, he was the first person she went to; not even Kanami was number one on her list anymore…

Was she feeling…love? She certainly hoped not. Li deserved so much better than a broken down, stressed out police officer. Besides, he more than likely did not feel the same. Why would he?

Misaki climbed out of bed, deciding that she was not going to be able to go back to sleep with her thoughts in such disarray. For now, she would eat breakfast and head out for some fresh air; and while she was at it, she could stop by November 11's 'grave' and pay her respects. She had neglected doing that for a while, and felt horrible for it.

"I wish you were still here. You would have helped me figure out all these mysteries…" she whispered, looking out her window one more time, before closing the curtains.

* * *

It was extremely windy outside. Paper was flying here and there, creating a blizzard of white. This was a clear indication that a storm might be on the way. She could feel it, as well as smell it in the air. It was going to storm horribly…and here she was, standing by a makeshift grave that had four cans of beer and two packs of cigarettes. April and July must have come to pay their respects. Did that mean they were still in the city? 

Misaki bent down, sitting the bouquet of roses she bought behind the beer and cigarettes. She severely missed November 11…

She sighed, wishing she could do more than just leave some roses…

"Misaki-san?"

Misaki stood up and turned, her eyes widening. Standing ten feet away was Li holding a bag full of groceries.

"L-Li-kun…" she said; almost in a whisper.

Li blinked, stepping closer. He looked down at the grave offerings, and then looked up at Misaki, sadness evident in his dark blue eyes. "Did someone die here?"

"Yes…" she said turning her gaze back towards the grave.

"Oh…" Li scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Misaki-san…"

"Why is it I always bump into you when I need you, Li-kun?" she said aloud without meaning to. The words slipped out naturally, as if they were always waiting to come out all along. Who knows? Maybe they did…

Li tilted his head to the side, a small smile on his face. "I don't know…"

Misaki chuckled, crossing her arms, trying to keep the chill from the wind away with her own body heat. Why hadn't she brought a jacket? She was forever forgetting it when she really needed it.

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm willing to listen."

"Are you sure, Li-kun? You seem…uh…busy."

Li looked down at the groceries in his arms and shrugged. "Not really. I don't have work today. Besides, I did say I always had time for you before, didn't I?"

Misaki blushed, glancing elsewhere in hopes that her reddened cheeks were not seen. "Well…um…"

Li didn't wait to hear what she was going to say. He gently nudged her forward with his elbow. "Let's go, Misaki-san. It's going to storm later, and I'm sure you don't want to be caught up in it."

Misaki smiled despite herself, glancing back at November 11's grave one last time before following Li down the sidewalk. "Li-kun…I can carry one of those bags if you want."

"Eh? Well…if you want to." He gently handed her one of the paper bags. It felt somewhat light, so she was assuming Li had taken it upon himself to carry the heavy one that was practically overflowing with food. "Thank you, Misaki-san. Those bags were starting to hurt my arms…" he smiled sheepishly.

Misaki chuckled, feeling much better. There was something about Li that seemed to make anyone feel happy. Whatever it was, Misaki was grateful. "Why so many groceries?"

"No reason really. I was just planning on making a large lunch."

Misaki could believe it. Li had the stomach of an ox. He seemed like he would eat a whole household out of food…

As they walked down the freezing sidewalk in silence, Misaki watched Li from the corner of her eyes. He seemed quite happy today…then again he seemed happy everyday. Was this the real Li she was seeing, or was this just a disguise?

"Uh, Misaki-san…um…is something wrong?"

"W-What?"

"You keep looking at me." Li blinked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, sorry. I was just thinking about something."

"Oh? What's that?"

Misaki bit her lip, hoping she would be saved somehow. After a while, Li just decided to drop the subject and bring up something else. "You shouldn't be out in this weather, especially without a jacket."

"Well…" Now that he brought that up…she was starting to remember that she was INDEED very cold. Li seemed to sense that because he stopped, sat his bag of groceries down, and proceeded to take his jacket off.

"W-W-What?! What are you doing, Li-kun?!" Misaki exclaimed, trying her best to prevent him from doing what she knew he was going to do.

Li smiled, handing her his jacket and taking the light grocery bag from her. "Please take the jacket, Misaki-san."

Misaki blushed, looking away as she took the jacket. She didn't want it if Li was going to be cold…but…well…she knew he wouldn't take it back, and they would only be wasting time if they argued. "Thank you…" she said, quickly putting it on and taking the bag back.

Li smiled, picked his bag, and continued on his merry way.

Misaki sighed happily, enjoying the warmth that clung to her now that she wore Li's jacket. How could he radiate such heat in weather like this was beyond all logic. "Uh, Li-kun…"

"Hm?"

"Umm…I wanted to know why you've been changing jobs so much. John-san seemed worried."

For a fraction of a second, Misaki thought she saw Li frown. It was so quick that she wondered if she was not just seeing things. Knowing her overactive imagination as of late, she could have. "No reason. I just can't find that special job you were telling me about. You said to try a bit of everything, so that's what I'm trying to do."

"You still remember that?"

"Of course. It was good advice. Don't mind John-san too much. He's a worrier by nature."

Those words sounded distant; almost purely apathetic as if Li wanted to drop the subject. This only made Misaki all the more determined to talk to John and see exactly what was going on. She sensed that both Li and John had a deep dislike of each other; though she could tell they were very good at hiding it. Even seeing them talking that one time she was eating at Li's house, she sensed something. 'Cold professionalism' was the only word she could think of. They acted almost like Yakuza members did when they were trying to hide something, or had met a partner they only needed to tolerate to accomplish a goal. Years of training at the Police Academy, and countless criminal psychology films she was forced to watch, had taught her to always, always, examine her surroundings, and to never take her thoughts on things lightly, no matter how farfetched. However, she did wish her thoughts were not focused so negatively on Li and his friend…

"Misaki-san, it's starting to rain."

She saw a small drop of water slide down her glasses. How could she have not noticed it? Judging by the ominous black clouds that were slowly creeping closer, she knew it would soon become an outright downpour.

"Don't worry; we're almost to my place. I think we'll beat the storm."

Even if they didn't beat the storm, Misaki was just glad that Li was willing to talk to her. That was all that mattered for some odd reason she could not comprehend. What she was feeling was not blind love! It wasn't….

* * *

They had made it to the apartment with seconds to spare. As soon as they had both stepped inside, it began to downpour furiously. High winds smacked violently against Li's windows as if trying to break it and the distant roar of thunder soon became a much louder. Misaki couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. 

Li had acted like a proper host, trying to make his homely apartment room a little bit more comfortable for Misaki. So far, all he could come up with was giving her a soft pillow to sit on instead of the hard floor. Anything was better than nothing, so she thanked him all the same.

Misaki watched as he disappeared in the kitchen, taking out the various food items he had bought from the grocery store. She couldn't stand just sitting around and watching Li do all that work. He hadn't asked her for help, but it would be good manners to give him a hand, even if he did refuse it.

"Li-kun, can I help you?"

Li seemed thoughtful for a second, but then he nodded happily. "Of course."

Misaki stood up, walked quickly over to Li, and attempted to give him a hand. Due to her help, it took little to no time to put everything in its proper place. The only items left out were those that Li was planning on using to cook lunch.

Misaki was about to go back to her seat to leave Li alone to get started, but he gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Misaki-san, would you like to help me?"

She blushed. "N-No, you don't want me helping you. I…I can't cook at all…"

Li smiled. "I know, you told me that before, but, well, maybe I can teach you? I taught John-san. If I can teach him, then I can teach anyone."

Misaki looked elsewhere. Could he really help her? She always thought she was a lost cause. Kanami and Jun had once tried to teach her how to make some soba noodles…but she completely burned the noodles, water included in what they called "records time". When they tried to teach her something more simple like miso soup…that simply was a lost cause as well.

"_There's no hope for you," _Kanami had said, and Jun had agreed.

So, as time went by after countless attempts at cooking, she just gave up. No one wished to help her anymore because she was labeled a "walking hazard" in the kitchen…

Another hand was placed on her shoulder, and Misaki turned her gaze back to Li's dark blue. "You can do it, Misaki-san. I believe in you."

From anyone else that would have sounded cheesy, but coming from Li, it just gave her hope that perhaps she COULD cook well. She swelled with confidence. That's right! She could do it!

Li seemed to sense her thoughts, because he nodded resolutely. "Well, shall we get started?"

With Li's careful and patient guidance, he helped Misaki make a Chinese recipe. It was nothing too difficult, and did not take much time to make like she thought it would. Li had started with something he thought was fairly basic; char sui bao, a steamed pork bun. When she had first heard that name, she was filled with dread. It sounded complicated, but once she got started, it was not really all that hard.

"See, it wasn't all that difficult was it?" Li asked gently.

Misaki blushed and nodded, staring at the fourteen buns they had made. She thought that perhaps they went a little overboard. There was no way SHE was going to able to eat all those buns…but when she thought about it, this must have been a normal lunch for Li who was a bottomless pit.

The buns made her think of nikuman, which was also a meat filled bun, but was a Japanese dish. These meat buns even had a different shape compared to the Japanese one. Did she do it right? Was it supposed to look like it did?

"Um, Li-kun…are they supposed to look like this?"

Li nodded. "Yes. Why are you asking?" he asked.

"Oh, um, no reason." She smiled.

Li tilted his head to the side. "Well…if you say so." He walked over to one of his cabinets, taking out some plates. They were rather plain, but Misaki did not care. She was so overjoyed that she had done things right and had not burned up the kitchen and caused an apartment fire, that she honestly could care less about anything else.

Misaki picked out three buns, while Li took about eight. The two sat down in the same spot they had chosen the last time they ate together, both looking out the window and watching the rain outside.

_This is nice…_Misaki thought. _I could stay here forever…_

A sharp roar of thunder ended that happy thought. Without meaning to, Misaki jumped; almost dropping her plate.

Li stared at her with a small smile, but said nothing about what he had just seen, and Misaki was thankful for that. If he had, she would have probably stuttered with embarrassment, only making herself look like a fool.

"Li-kun...um…did you read the papers about the Rihga Royal incident?"

Li nodded, almost completely wolfing down a char sui bao.

"Did you think there was anything strange about what the paper had said?"

"Eh? No, not really. Should I feel strange about it?"

"No…"

Li blinked, but dropped it at that as he grabbed another bun, completely devouring it in less than a second.

"I saw that man in black again."

"Oh? Really? Did he save you from something again?" he asked nonchalantly, still enthralled in his meal.

Misaki was about to shake her head, but stopped. He did save her in a way didn't he? Instead of killing her, he stopped his assault. If he had only done his job…she wouldn't be here right now…

"Misaki-san…" Li whispered gently, a sympathetic expression appearing on his handsome face. "Did…did he hurt you?"

If BK-201 was Li, he sure was a damn good actor. The expression on his face couldn't be fake…it just looked too kind and benevolent to be that of a killer's… "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" He sat his plate down, watching her more intently now.

It took a lot of self-control not to blush under Li's scrutiny. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Li-kun."

Li still looked a bit distraught, but nodded anyway.

"He…well…he was about to kill someone, but I intervened. He should have killed me as well, but he hesitated. Do you know why, Li-kun?"

If Li looked distraught before, he looked even worse now. "He tried to hurt you?"

Misaki shook her head. "No, but he could have."

"Hmm…" Li looked out the window, watching the rain for a while, but then he turned his gaze back towards Misaki. "Perhaps he saw something in you that made him stop."

Misaki frowned in confusion. "Like what?"

"Maybe he cares about you? I mean…he did save you once before didn't he? If that was the case, why would he want to kill you now?"

_Good point…_she thought. That might have been the case. She was unsure of the 'caring about her' part, but he had not killed her before for some unknown purpose. He even went as far as to warn her about someone watching her (whom she still does not know). "I'm not sure, Li-kun. That man is a Con---constant annoyance to the police force. One can never be sure what's on his mind."

"I think he does care about you, even if only a little."

Misaki stared at her last half-eaten meat bun. Nonsense. He was a Contractor of the most extreme magnitude of professionalism possible. Then again…so was November 11 and his partners, but they still were very good people at heart. So maybe…well, maybe even BK-201, or Hei as Hook called him, was not so bad either. _Nothing is ever black and white…_she told herself.

Li coughed nervously at the silence that ensued. "I forgot to get refreshments. Be right back." Li stood up and quickly went back into his small kitchen. "What would you like to drink?"

"Um…some water would be fine."

Misaki looked back out the window. It had been raining for a while now. She hoped it wouldn't flood or anything like that. If it did, how would she go about doing her police work? Crime certainly wouldn't go on a standstill just because of the weather.

"You sure like to think a lot, don't you, Misaki-san?"

She turned her attention towards where she heard Li, blushing slightly. "Um…well…"

"You should try relaxing a bit more. I can tell you have a lot on your mind, but for now, only think about positive things." Li gave her a soft smile, handing Misaki her cup of water.

With much gratitude she took it, gulping some of the water down. "Li-kun, do you ever wonder about the fake stars we have? Like what the sky would look like again without them?"

Li sat down, picking up his plate and resuming his quest of destroying his meat buns. "That's not positive, Misaki-san."

Misaki laughed. "It's not? It seemed rather positive to me."

Li sighed, still smiling. "Well to answer your question about the stars, no, not really. I miss the old stars, but I'd rather not see the fake ones go away either. I wish they could both exist."

This took her by surprise. He thought the same way she did about the stars. "I'm not sure that will ever happen…" Misaki whispered. She was starting to get tired now. Constantly thinking could do that to a person…

"You never know. Have a little faith, Misaki-san. Try to be a bit more optimistic. You'll see that one day everything will work out."

_Have a little faith, huh? _She thought, slowly closing her eyes as a wave of exhaustion suddenly enshrouded her mind like a veil. Had she been tired all this time? She was fine a little while ago...

Misaki could hear Li humming gently as he sipped some of his water and stared out the window. It sounded almost like a lullaby, but that thought slowly floated away as she felt herself completely drifting away in the river called sleep.

* * *

When Misaki came to, she was lying on something soft. Though half-asleep she had enough sense to know that she was lying on a futon. However, she was not back at her room; instead she was still in Li's room. She could tell by the sheer dullness around her that this was still his apartment room. Misaki looked out his window, staring at a small black cat with a red, belled collar. The cat meowed at her before hoping off. 

She stayed on the futon, happy about the warmth that surrounded it. Misaki thought about the coldness outside and shivered slightly, sinking deeper into the soft cushion. The blankets that enveloped her were like heaters, but not to the extreme to where she wanted to crawl out, but just right.

Misaki was about to close her eyes and go back to sleep when another one of her many thoughts assaulted her. Why was she in Li's bed?! Sleep suddenly abandoned her as she sat up, pushing the heavy blankets off of her. When had she gone to sleep? Oh yes...she did it while she was eating.

_How embarrassing…_she thought with a faint blush. What made her blush even more as the fact that Li carried her to his room and tucked her into his bed. She felt like a horrible guest now, knowing that she caused him some trouble…

Forcing herself out of bed, she tried to fix it up the best she could before wandering out of Li's room and into the main one. It was a bit depressing that Li's apartment was so small…but he seemed content here, so it was not her place to say anything about it.

The door opened and Li stepped inside with is trademark green jacket, taking off his shoes and blinking in confusion when his blue eyes met Misaki's honey ones.

"Misaki-san…you're awake."

She nodded. "Sorry for going to sleep on you," she replied with a bow.

Li just smiled. "You seemed really tired, so it was no problem."

Misaki yawned. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Three hours," he replied happily.

"Three…THREE HOURS?!" she exclaimed.

Li looked a bit frightened and nodded nervously. "Um…you were really tired, so I didn't wake you. Sorry, Misaki-san…" he bowed, looking completely downtrodden.

Misaki blushed furiously. "N-No, I'm glad you let me sleep. I woke up early this morning so…well…um…Li-kun, where were you a little while ago?"

Li stepped into the room, going into the kitchen. "Um, I went to go see my land lady. I needed to pay her my rent. I would have done it earlier, but I had to wait because of the storm."

"Oh, so that's where you were."

Li scratched the back of his head, blushing slightly. "Uh, forgive me for asking this, but when did you wake up?"

Misaki blinked. "A few minutes ago."

Li sighed with relief, grabbing a lone meat bun that was left before stepping into his small living room. Misaki had no idea where all the other meat buns had disappeared to. She assumed that Li had eaten them all. "I'm glad. If you had been awake for a longer time than that, I would have felt horrible."

Now that the storm had passed, it was time for Misaki to go. She didn't want to, but she had spent too much time at Li's house.

"Li-kun, I need to get going now."

Li looked a bit sad, but nodded. "All right. Oh, before you go, please take this." He handed her the meat bun, beaming like a child who had just done something good. Misaki laughed.

"Hey…what's so funny?"

Misaki bit back a chuckle. "Oh, nothing at all, Li-kun. Nothing at all."

Li glowered, and took his jacket off, once again handing it to Misaki.

"Again, Li-kun?"

"Again, Misaki-san."

Misaki chuckled, blushing as she took the green jacket from Li for what felt like the hundredth time, and put it on.

Li nodded and showed Misaki out, walking with her until they arrived a fair little distance away from the apartment like a proper gentleman. With a bow, they both exchanged goodbyes, and went their separate ways. It would have been a good idea to go off and speak to John, but with Li around that would have to wait another day. Besides, she wasn't even sure if he was in his room now.

Despite how Misaki had felt earlier that day, she was quite content now, and quite honestly, did not wish to shatter that with constant chaotic thoughts that she was sure her discussion with John would bring. It was almost as if it was the will of the heavens that she spend this depressing day of hers with someone like Li instead.

She scoffed. There was no such thing as gods or anything of the sort. But…why was she smiling and secretly believing that perhaps there were?

**

* * *

****A/N:** Well, that was fun to write. xD To tell the truth, this chapter just sorta wrote itself. I had a completely different idea for it, but well, it just kind of changed as I began working on it. I must admit, I'm proud of how it turned out despite that. Hurray for LiMisa moments! 


	11. Chapter 11

"Misaki, don't you find it odd that there has not been any murders by that Tengu masked guy lately?" Jun asked, gulping down some water in her water bottle.

Misaki tapped her chin with her pen. She did find it odd. It had been days since Hook's partner caused any trouble, BK-201 included. Was there something going on? What made things even odder…was the fact that John had been sick according to Sayu, his fellow co-worker and close friend. The girl had said that he had caught a stomach virus and had been puking a lot. She had wanted to take him to the doctor, but he had vehemently been against it, Li as well.

"Heeeeeello, Misaki. Are you all there?"

Misaki looked over at Jun and frowned. Jun had been gone for a while too; a whole week actually. She had said that she had been sick, but Misaki couldn't be sure. She wasn't sure of ANYTHING lately. Everyone was a suspect now…

"Oi, fine, ignore me. I don't care." Jun sighed, going back to her work.

"Jun-san, what do you think Tengu mask is up to?"

"Oh now you hear me?" she said playfully. "Well, I'm not sure. Maybe he left. I mean, you guys have been on his case lately. Maybe he was intimidated or something?"

"I doubt it."

"Well, you asked my opinion so I told you. We're not all detectives." She sniffed, returning to her work once again. "And stop with the 'san'. You make me feel like I'm old or something."

Misaki sighed, leaning back in her chair. Hourai was starting to get frustrated due to this case not going literally anywhere. Misaki couldn't blame him, this was frustrating her too. She was losing much needed sleep all because of this unknown group of hit men. The few times she had attempted to call Hook was all in vain. The dog Contractor NEVER answered the phone. What bothered her was the fact that the dog could even text her. How was that possible?

"That guy came by today while you were out during lunch. Um, what was his name? Uh, Li Shinsung, or something like that. I'm not good at Chinese, so I'm probably butchering the poor guys name…"

Misaki leaned forward in her chair. "Li-kun came by?!"

Jun's eyes widened slightly. "Uh, yeah."

"What did he want?"

Jun laughed for a good minute. "You're acting like a lovesick teenager."

Misaki chose to ignore that comment. "What did he say?" she hissed, leaning forward even more.

Jun giggled. "He just wanted to see how you were doing. He's awfully sweet. I was planning on hitting on him you know, since he's so attractive and all."

"Don't you dare, Jun."

Jun laughed again, spinning around in her chair. Jun was the one acting like a immature teenager; no better yet, a child would have been a more appropriate word. It was hard to believe that Jun was older than her.

"I won't take your boyfriend away from you. I wouldn't want your wrath that's for sure. Too bad about Saitou-san though." She sighed.

"Why do you always bring Saitou-san in this?"

"You don't KNOW?" Jun leaned forward in her chair as well, knocking stacks of paper off her desk in the process. Misaki and Jun's constant bickering was a normalcy in the office, so no one even bothered to see what the two young women were talking about anymore. Their noisiness was promptly ignored as if the whole room was silent.

"Know WHAT?"

Jun sighed. "You're so naïve sometimes, Misaki."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means what it means. Anyway, that Li guy left you something. Let me see if I can find it…" Jun began checking her desk. "Hopefully no one came snooping around my desk and snatched it. That would be just my luck…"

Misaki watched for a while, but then her interest eventually evaporated. She sighed, returning back to her paperwork. Jun was going to be busy for a while. So why even bother waiting?

"AH HAH! Found it!" Jun gently placed a beautiful red lunch box on her desk, grinning ear to ear.

Misaki tilted her head slightly. "What's in it?"

"Open it up and see. I thought it was absolutely adorable what he did. I was tempted to eat them really."

Misaki raised an eyebrow and took the lunch box away from her loud friend, opening it up. Inside were three meat buns, some fried rice, and some soba noodles that looked as if they were carefully prepared. Misaki blushed.

"Sweet, eh? I wish a guy would make me something like that. It looks like Li put some serious heart into that."

All Misaki could do was continue to blush in silence.

"Anyway, he left you a note too. Here you go." Jun handed the letter to her, watching Misaki's expression carefully.

_I hope you're getting enough sleep. Don't forget to stop and rest once in a while. _

_Your friend, Li_

Misaki smiled widely, unable to keep herself from sighing dreamily. Li-kun was so thoughtful, and charming, and just about anything positive she could think of at that moment. Any doubts she had in him evaporated at that moment.

"Are you two hitting it off? You know, going out?"

Misaki grimaced. Well, her romantic thoughts were ruined by Jun once again. "No we're not."

"Well you should."

"We're just friends."

"I've heard that one before in High School."

"We're FRIENDS."

Jun sighed. "Keep telling yourself that. You know he means a lot to you; more than a regular friend I can tell you that much. He probably feels the same."

"I doubt it…" Misaki mumbled. Why would he? She was a workaholic who barely had time for anything. Not to mention she was not exactly model material. Li looked like he would fit better with someone who was extremely attractive; not with someone as plain as her.

"No self-confidence whatsoever. How depressing." Jun sighed loudly. "I know this sounds cliché, but you'll never know how he feels unless you ask him. It's a true statement you know."

Jun was right…but Misaki did not want to hear any of it. She was too busy for a relationship right now. Why was it everyone was trying to push her into dating Li? "I'm going to the bathroom," she announced, standing up.

Jun raised an eyebrow. "Fine, don't give me a clever retort back," she joked. "Do you want me to watch your food? I'm sure you wouldn't want wandering hands to come and snatch it up."

"Thank you, Jun." Misaki bowed and quickly left her office for the bathroom. While she was there, she could clear her head of thought involving Li and focus more on her case. Later she could go visit John and talk to him. She had the strangest feeling that John was not who he said he was. There was no reason for her to suspect him of anything…and yet her heart was telling her otherwise.

As usual, the bathroom was sparkling clean, and very much empty. Misaki often wondered if she was the only person on the eighth floor that even bothered to use the bathroom sometimes.

Misaki stood in front of the mirror, grabbing a paper towel and pouring a bit of water on it. She gently began to brush it across her face in hope of getting rid of her tired expression that now blossomed across her visage. As soon as the wet paper towel touched her cheek, her cell phone vibrated.

She sighed, knowing exactly who it was that was messaging her. With annoyance, she flipped her phone open.

_Hello, Miss Kirihara. Is there anyone around you?_

Misaki checked the bathroom again to make sure before she texted back. _No._

_Good, _came the quick reply. _I'm going to call you, so no funny business now. You won't be able to find me anyway._

As soon as she was done reading that message, her phone vibrated again. She clicked the talk button. "What is it, Hook?"

"We are all so proud of you for preventing Matsuda's death. So much so, we would like to aide you in your quest to capture BK-201 again since your last attempt ended in disaster."

"Before I even bother to listen, why did you want me to protect her in the first place?"

There was silence on the other end.

"Hook, if you don't answer me---!"

"Calm down, police woman. Matsuda is an important individual is all. What would that company do without her, hmm?"

Misaki frowned. What was Hook trying to say?

"All that aside---."

"You never truly answered my question, Hook."

"Don't push your luck, police woman," the dog growled. "I gave you your answer, now be happy with just that. Maybe if you were smarter you wouldn't be struggling so long in capturing BK-201."

Misaki shut her mouth before she said something she would later regret. Talking rudely to someone as powerful as Hook did not seem like a wonderful idea, especially when they were willing to help you.

"Now then, back to what I was saying. I want to give you some information."

Misaki held her breath, but quickly grew annoyed when Hook did not say anything more.

"What are you going to tell me? I don't have all day, Hook."

"Keep track of your friend, and watch out for a black cat as well. He'll report you if he sees you following him around. Hmm…I suppose Wendy and I can deal with that."

Wendy? So there WERE other partners in this. That name…all these names, they sounded as if they came out of that book called Peter Pan. "What do you mean by 'my…friend'?"

"You don't know? After all the hints we've thrown your way? Young people these days just don't ever use their brains do they?"

Misaki chose to ignore that last part. "No I don't know. Who are you talking about?"

Hook laughed. "I'll give you hint...he wears white, but wears green on cold days. However, on the job he wears black and white. Neat hint, eh?"

What sort of hint was this? It just made her even more confused. She did not get a chance to question him some more before the Contractor hung up, and she was met with the usual beep of severed communication.

Misaki stared at the brilliantly white linoleum floor with a sort of melancholy calm. "My goodness what have I gotten myself involved in?"

She sighed. Well, she would have to quickly finish her paperwork and then go and visit John as planned. She had many questions she wanted to ask him. Shoving her cell phone back into her pocket, she left the bathroom right when someone else was about to go inside.

With a bow, she excused herself, silently thankful that her phone conversation ended when it did.

* * *

Misaki glanced up at John's room number with deep contemplation. She was more determined than ever to question John now. He seemed a lot more suspicious than Li or anyone else for that matter right now considering since he had gotten sick, no more murders had happened. 

She took a deep breath and walked up the stairs as quietly as she could, praying to whatever gods were listening that Li was nowhere to be found. She would be hard pressed in talking to John privately with another suspect in the way.

Misaki was about to knock when the door opened and Sayu stepped out, blinking at her with large, confused light brown eyes.

"S-Sayu-chan, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I was just checking on John to make sure he was all right. He seems to be feeling a bit better now since Li-san came and gave him some weird Chinese medicine. I didn't think it would work, but it did." She smiled happily.

Misaki couldn't help but smile back. Sayu was such a nice girl. "Is it all right to talk to him?"

"Oh sure! I bet he won't mind. I'll tell him you're here." Sayu bowed deeply and walked back inside. After about a minute had passed, she came back still smiling. "You can see him."

"Thank you so much, Sayu-chan. Oh, by the way, is Li-kun here?"

"Hm? No. He left twenty or so minutes ago. He said he just wanted to go for a walk, so he won't be back for a while. Oh, and no problem, Kirihara-san." Sayu bowed politely, and then quickly began to go down the stairs.

Misaki waited until the girl disappeared from her sight before she stepped into John's room. Compared to Li's apartment room, John's had a bit more things in it, though not much. He mainly had things that were of important like small furniture, a TV, and a table, but other than that, his room was just as drab and dull as Li's. Misaki secretly stored this information in her head for further deliberation.

"Oi, Kirihara-san, it's nice to see you again," John said as he stepped out of a room near the kitchen. He looked very tired, and had faint dark circles under his eyes showing that he had not had much sleep. Misaki bit her lip, wondering if questioning him while he was in such bad condition was wise.

"Same here. How are you feeling? Sayu-san has told me that you're still sick."

"I'm fine now, thanks to Sayu and Li. They're really great people you know." John walked over to a couch and plopped down, signaling Misaki to do the same.

Misaki took off her shoes, and took a chair near the window. "I wanted to ask you a few questions."

John laughed. "I thought as much. What is it?"

"I…well…when you had gotten sick, criminal activity from a person my colleagues and I have been chasing stopped…"

John raised an eyebrow. "Straight to the point aren't we?"

"I'd rather not waste your time. Sorry if I'm coming across as too strong."

John shook his head. "No, it's all right. You have every right to be suspicious of me. However, picking me out doesn't sound all too bright, if I may be blunt to say. What you're doing does not seem very well thought out. Either your desperation to capture this criminal has clouded your senses, or you're just in a hurry."

Misaki felt absolutely insulted. She even clenched her fists in fury. However, not once did she show any sign of that anger on her face or in her tone. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, by picking me out, you ignore many other people who could have been sick in the same time span I was. You don't know everyone in this city, Kirihara-san. For all you know someone at the police station might have been sick as long as me and could have been the criminal."

"I…" Misaki fought a blush from creeping across her face in embarrassment. John had a good point. Singling him out simply because he had been sick was silly. She didn't even have any evidence to bother seeing him as a suspect. Besides, Jun had been sick for a few days, and Hideo had been sickly as well. Some of the other police officers had been just as sick. For all she knew, the janitor who cleans the bathrooms could be the man with the Tengu mask…

"Many of my fellow co-workers had been sick like me," John continued. "Apparently the stomach flu has been going about during and after the Star Festival. If you don't believe me, you can ask some of my friends. I'm sure they'll tell you the same thing. Better yet, you can ask Sayu when she pops back up here later to check on me. This whole flu thing has been all over the news lately. I'm surprised you haven't seen it."

"I…well…f-forgive me." Misaki hung her head down so he wouldn't see her shame. How could she have been so stupid?! What was wrong with her? This was such a mistake...

John smiled sadly and got off the couch, patting Misaki on the shoulder. "It's all right, Kirihara-san. I'm sure this case that you're doing is causing you a lot of stress…"

"I feel as if I'm never going to catch this man. He's just going to keep killing and killing and there's nothing I can do. I've been racking my brain over this for such a long time that I'm starting to think illogically now. I hope I'm not going insane because of this…"

"You're not going insane, Kirihara-san. You just want things to end is all…" John said gently, his voice lowering slightly.

Misaki sighed. "I do, but that does not mean I should jump to conclusions like that without thinking further on it. Forgive me…"

John was silent, looking elsewhere. If Misaki had been paying attention she would have seen the small flash of shame travel across his handsome face.

"John-san…I have a question."

He looked down at her. "Not another attempt at questioning me on my sickness I hope?" he said, smiling widely.

"N-No, it's nothing like that. I was just wondering if Li-kun…has been acting odd."

John was silent again. "You're suspecting Li-kun now?"

"No, I just…well…there's something I need to know…"

"Well…now that you mention it, yes he has."

Misaki looked up. "What?"

"He's been coming home later and later lately. He's always frowning too, as if there's something on his mind. Other than those peculiarities, he hasn't been too odd. I guess you can discredit the whole coming home late thing. After all, Li does love to watch the stars…though I wish I knew why."

Misaki's eyes narrowed. She was going to hate herself for digging into Li's personal life, but something kept prodding her towards him. "John-san, what was Li wearing today?"

"Uh…a white shirt?" John blinked, looking a bit nervous now.

"What does he usually wear when it's cold?"

"Erm…theses questions are sorta odd…" he rubbed his arm, backing away a little.

Misaki grabbed his sleeve. "Please answer. It's extremely important."

John sighed, sensing her urgency. "All right, all right. He wears that horrible green jacket. Why?"

He wears white…dresses in green on cold days, and on the job wears black and white. Wait…could it be? Misaki closed her eyes. No…it couldn't be. It just couldn't…

"Kirihara-san...what's wrong?"

Misaki couldn't hear him. She was trapped in her horrible thoughts and couldn't find a way out.

"Misaki…" John bent down so he was face to face with her. He grabbed her arm, shaking her gently out of her reverie. "Are you all right?"

Misaki held her head. She could feel a huge headache coming right about now. "I'm fine...I just have a terrible migraine."

John sighed with relief. "Thank God, I was starting to worry. Would you like something to drink? I can get you an aspirin if you want."

"No, that's all right. I'll be taking my leave now. Sorry for bothering you." Misaki stood up and put her shoes back on.

"All right. Um…I hope you feel better..." There was a tinge of sadness in John's voice that was not there earlier, but Misaki did not really linger on that thought. Right now she was simply depressed, and still trying her very best to discredit what she had just learned. _Hook's words could have meant anyone… _she told herself. Yes, she refused to believe Li was anything like BK-201. Sure she had been comparing them a lot lately…but she always ended up making herself feel foolish. Kind and loving Li was not a murderer…he wasn't…

_I can't fully trust Hook's words, _she told herself wisely. He was a Contractor, and as such, was not afraid of manipulation to do his job. This might have been apart of it; misleading Misaki from the real villain so Hook and his team could go about their merry way, doing whatever it was they were ordered to do.

"I need better evidence…" she whispered as she walked towards her blue car. The Black Reaper had to be anyone but Li…he just had to be…

**

* * *

****A/N: **Poor Misaki. She's trying so hard to ignore all the evidence Hook and John have thrown her way. I don't blame her, I'd be in denial too just because I love Li a lot. xD 


	12. Chapter 12

_**Review Reply Corner:**_

**Rin-** LoL, I'm so glad you like it! Weeeell, here's the long awaited update. xD

* * *

Misaki was hard pressed to meet Li all week. Whenever she stopped by his apartment John told her he had went out for some job or other. So, as of late she spent most of her time with John and Sayu whenever she was around. The two had been quite adept at getting her to forget about work sometimes; so much so that she was starting to become very fond of the two. She even stopped by the amusement park they worked at every now and then to talk to them, or to see how they were doing. 

Her week had been going well...too well in fact. She had only been called in for one Contractor related murder, but it was by a star she was unfamiliar with; one that even Kanami and her people had not ever dealt with. The victim that was killed was oddly enough, the President of the Taisho Pharmaceutical Company. The man had been murdered by a bullet straight through the head from a distance according to witnesses, which made Misaki and the others believe that it was sniper who had taken him out. The mystery was, why was the man murdered? And how could someone hide with a sniper rifle in Tokyo city in broad daylight and not get caught? That's what made this case even more peculiar; so much so that she chose to call Hook while she was on her way to the amusement park to talk to Sayu or John.

With a small sigh, she dialed his number while she was waiting for a stoplight to flash green. Instantly, someone answered.

"What can I do for you, Kirihara-san?"

"Why is it I feel as if you KNEW I was going to call?"

"Because you've been relying on my word as of late. It was obvious that you would call me about that murder a few days ago. All I needed to do was wait."

Misaki bit her tongue. Hook sure was smug today. It was true that she had been relying on Hook…but that was only because he was more than willing to help her. Why? She had no idea, and that's what made her a bit wary. "What do you know?"

"Well, I for one know that that man had been swindling money from his company for…uh, scrupulous pursuits such as women, and other things older, rich men would have an interest in."

"So someone hired you." That wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"That is correct. We need to keep our clients happy, and that man was not being useful at the time."

"Who was it? Matsuda?"

"You would like to think it was that selfish woman wouldn't you? Even if it was her, you have no proof. You can't tape our conversation because you would be killed long before you even gave the tape to your chief."

Misaki growled slightly. Hook was right. She knew that forming a "partnership" with the Contractor would have its share of blackmail to keep her in check. However, she did need him…though she would never say that aloud. "Would I be killed in a sniper related incident as well?"

"More than likely. My partner Wendy has been keeping an eye on you lately. One wrong move and you're as good as dead."

Misaki tensed, looking around nervously. Hook laughed as if he as able to see her.

"Relax, Kirihara-san. Wendy isn't watching you today. She's more focused on other things right now to bother with you. However, that does not mean we can't still take you out."

The stoplight soon flashed green and Misaki took off, scowling as she spoke again. "I have no desire to betray you or your team."

"Good," Hook said smugly again. "That's smart of you to say."

"So was it her?" Misaki said, going back to the previous topic of a certain Vice President.

"Maybe. You won't find anything, so don't bother. That Company is good at covering things up from what I've gathered. There's been so many murders by them it's not even funny."

"If that's the case why hasn't it been shut down?"

"Because money keeps them safe," was the nonchalant reply. "All that aside, new information just in."

Misaki raised an eyebrow. What was that supposed to mean? "Meet me in the park where that old man was killed; Ryu Nakoshi I believe? Anyway, it should be deserted around 24:00. So, don't be late."

"Wait! Why can't you tell me on the phone?"

"Because it makes things easier to talk to you in person. Surely you're tired of talking through the phone? I know I am."

Something in the back of Misaki's mind kept telling her that doing that was a bad idea…that it was suicide to even think of meeting with a Contractor as cutthroat as Hook…but she felt that she needed to go. She would later regret that decision, though she did not know it at the time…

* * *

"Kirihara-san," Sayu said, chewing on some chocolate pocky, "you seem to have a lot on your mind." 

"Hm? Do I?" Misaki replied, watching people run around trying to figure out what they were going to do at the amusement park. She wished she could join them…but she did not feel the urge to play around; not that she ever really felt that way.

"Yes, that's right. I can tell. John-san always has that look on his face. He seems a bit down lately…" Sayu glanced over her shoulder as if wishing John would appear, when it seemed he wouldn't magically come out of nowhere, she sighed and took out another piece of pocky.

"Really?" Misaki turned her attention to the small teenage girl. "Why do you say that?"

"Well…he doesn't show it on his face really…but I can tell. It's like you're hiding how you feel by pretending everything is fine. If you do that, people won't ask questions, and you won't have to struggle to answer."

"Why…why do you think he's sad?"

"Um…I dunno. Well actually…" Sayu got quiet, slowly putting down her box of pocky.

Misaki waited patiently for the girl to speak up again.

"Kirihara-san…please don't tell John-san this…Li-san too."

"Um…all right."

Sayu took a deep breath, looking up at the crystal blue sky above. "Yesterday I went to John-san's house to make sure he wouldn't miss his morning shift and get in trouble with the boss again…but when I went to knock I heard arguing."

It took every ounce of self-control Misaki possessed not to shake Sayu and question her fervently. "Did you hear what they were arguing about?"

"Um…" Sayu began to hesitate.

"It's all right. I won't tell anyone what you tell me."

With a sigh, the young girl began again. "Well the arguing wasn't that loud. It was whispered really. I had to press my ear against the door to hear it…but um…Li-san was mad at John-san because he was hiding something from him."

"Hiding something?"

Sayu nodded, looking absolutely nervous. "John-san said something about Li-san slipping up lately, and becoming too soft so that it was now up to him to clean things up. I couldn't really hear the rest after that…but well...whatever it was ended in a fight. When I knocked on the door, they both stopped. John-san quickly answered it…he seemed perfectly happy, Li-san as well. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened…"

Misaki tapped her chin with her index finger, glaring at nothing in particular as she faced away from Sayu. How peculiar…very peculiar. Something was obviously going on between the two than just neighbors. What could they be up to?

"I…I shouldn't have said anything…"

"No, it's all right, Sayu-chan. I'm sure John-san and Li-kun were just having a bad morning…" she lied, hoping that would cheer the girl up. It wouldn't do for her to go moping around. If John saw her like that, or even Li…she would probably tell them what she heard out of guilt. Misaki could not have that.

Sayu still looked a bit distraught, but nodded nevertheless. "Y-Yes, you're probably right. Those two seem to tolerate each other, but I can tell they don't really like one another. I guess that morning their dislike just sorta skyrocketed…"

Misaki glanced back at the girl. What? She thought they always seemed so happy around each other. "They don't like one another? Are you sure, Sayu-chan?"

She nodded. "I'm good at reading people; and always have been. When they're around one another…I can see that they can't stand the other, but I can also see a sort of brotherly relationship going on, though I can tell they wish it didn't exist. I guess you can call them rivals or something like that."

How did Sayu gather all this? Misaki herself had noticed it, but it was almost as if Sayu made it an art to study them. "Like a sibling rivalry in a way?"

Sayu nodded. "I don't think they're real brothers though. I think it's just something that came about while John was relying on Li-kun for help getting situated in his new apartment."

Misaki took her glasses off, trying to clean off an annoying smudge. Li and John were so enigmatic. It was nice to know that she was not the only one who noticed that. "Um…Sayu-chan, how can you be sure of this?"

"I'm not all that sure really. It's just a feeling I have." She shrugged, picking up her box of pocky and resuming her quest to finish them. "I could be wrong, but...I have a feeling I'm not. My mom is a psychologist so…well, I used to read her books a lot; still do sometimes."

"Do you plan on majoring in that?" Misaki asked, trying to cheer the girl up. It seemed she did not really have to because Sayu seemed to have recovered from her anxiety now that the questions were not aimed towards her eavesdropping.

"Of course. It's interesting stuff. If I didn't want to do it before, I want to do it now just from watching John-san and Li-san. They inspire me." She giggled, standing up and fixing her blue uniform. "Well, I better get back to work before the boss attacks me. Since John isn't here today, I'm going to have to cover his shift too…" She sighed loudly, placing her hands on her hips. "Anyway, thank you for listening to me, Kirihara-san."

"No, thank you, Sayu-chan." Misaki watched as she hopped off, returning to her shift somewhere in the park.

Misaki sighed, learning back on her bench and closing her tired eyes. So all the secrets were now coming out of the dark. Li and John did not like each other, but why? Those things John had said…it made her even more curious. Li had become too soft…? Whatever could that mean?

* * *

Despite Misaki's bad feeling, she went to the park Hook had indicated earlier than she was supposed to. He had said 23:00, but…well, she was in the area now so why not simply wait? She was a bit wary walking about during this time of night, especially since this was the time most crimes tended to take place in the city. However, this seemed to be the only time she could meet with Hook, so she would have to deal with it. 

Misaki sighed, leaning against a tree. Was Hook going to come early too? She certainly hoped so. She was tired, and really did want to go to sleep right about now. It was pure anxiety that kept her awake while she was waiting.

"Police lady…"

Misaki tensed. That voice…she hadn't heard it in a while, but she knew exactly who it belonged to. Slowly she turned to meet the owner of it. Her police training told her that she needed to take cover, and that's exactly what she did. As fast as she was able, she moved behind the tree just in time before a knife lodged where she was a second before.

"Didn't I tell you you'd be dealt with eventually?"

Misaki quickly dug into her pocket, taking out her handgun and trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. The masked man was nowhere to be seen, and that only terrified her more. There was no BK-201 to save her, and Hook was not going to come to her aide considering he had probably had this planned out from the beginning. She was fool to have not noticed that.

The wind blew a small group of leaves across Misaki's face, that only sound coming from the sound of the trees swaying in the breeze. She could feel herself sweating; too terrified to move from behind her protective cover, but knowing she was a sitting duck hiding in that one spot. "What do you want?!" she shouted, clicking the safety mechanism of her gun.

She was met with only silence.

"If you're going to kill me anyway, can't you tell me that?" she spared a glance from the side of her cover. The masked man was nowhere to be seen.

"I guess."

Misaki tensed again. The voice came from above her. She wanted to look up, but knew that would be folly. She had seen enough horror movies to know looking up was out of the question. When had Tengu mask gotten into the tree?

"You have to die because you're nosey. You're becoming more a pest than anything else. It would be best if you're dealt with before you become too much of a problem. Besides…"

Misaki did not wait to hear more, she aimed her gun upwards and released a shot. Whether it hit or not, she did not care. All she wanted to do was get out of the park or find somewhere better to hide.

Running as fast as she could, she tried to get to the exit. All thoughts of calling her men for help were destroyed the moment she heard rapid footsteps behind her. She whirled around, her eyes widening as she pointed her gun at the masked man. How could he move so fast?!

As quickly as she pulled the trigger, he dodged out the way, throwing a knife in retaliation. Misaki fell over just in time. If she had not been so off balanced by her abrupt turn, she would have been dead right about then. However, because she had fallen over, there was no chance of her getting up alive again. She knew that, and that's what made her situation worse.

The soft crunch of leaves was all she heard, including the sound of a knife being pulled out from a sheath.

"Sorry…Kirihara-san…" the voice said. It was right then and there that she realized she knew who was behind that mask. His voice was a bit changed from the mask he wore, but she knew that sad tone anywhere.

"John-san…" she mumbled, looking up at him. It was painful for her to know he was the one who was going to kill her. She had become quite fond of him…but now, he was going to be her murderer…

The masked man's expression was unreadable from behind his mask, but she felt that he was conflicted by the sound of his name. He hesitated, looking around as if he was waiting for someone. Misaki was beginning to think that perhaps she had reached him, but his words told her that she was far too late. "My name is Michael." With that said John twirled the knife in his hand and plunged it towards her neck.

Misaki closed her eyes waiting for that familiar pain, but she was met with nothing but a cool breeze that licked her cheek.

She heard a grunt of pain, and saw the knife land next to her on the ground. Glancing up, Misaki saw BK-201 a few feet away; his ominous presence only making her even more nervous and frightened. Slowly she moved her gaze back to John, watching as blood dripped from his bleeding arm. BK-201 had thrown a strangely shaped knife at him, and apparently John had been too sidetracked to dodge out of the way.

"So this was your goal all along was it?" BK-201 said with such anger that Misaki shuddered despite herself. "You said you were not going to bother the police woman anymore."

"I lied."

"What else have you lied about? Do you really plan on helping me?"

John chuckled, shaking his head. "You're such an idiot."

"Answer me!"

"You still haven't changed. What sort of Contractor are you? Getting emotional over some woman…what a shame," John replied, ripping the knife out of his arm and throwing it back to BK-201 as if it was just a little thorn caught on his arm. The Black Reaper caught it effortlessly, flicking the blood off. However, he did not put it back into its sheath. He kept it firmly gripped in his hand.

"I have one question…how did you know this was going to happen?" John asked; his voice still calm and even despite his injury. If his wound was not treated soon, he was going to bleed to death. However, he did not seem the least bit worried…and that disturbed Misaki to no end.

"Hook. He came and told me."

"Damn that old man." There was slight humor in John's voice, though Misaki could not see what was so funny. She was tempted to get up and run, but once again, that thought did not seem like a good idea. She was like a sheep caught between two ravenous wolves. Any sudden movement on her part could result in them attacking her…

"Why are you doing this, Michael? What would you gain from killing this woman?"

"Nothing, nothing at all, and that's what makes it so damn fun." As quickly as a snake strikes, John bent down and grabbed the knife he had dropped, throwing it at BK-201.

BK-201 dodged it, flinging his own blade, but John had thrown another one, knocking BK-201's blade out of the air with such skill and accuracy that Misaki shuddered again. If that man was not a Contractor, he sure was just as frightening as one.

The two assassins watched each other; tension filling the air like a cloud of smoke. Misaki felt as if she was unable to breath because of how thick it was.

"Sorry Hei, but I can't stay and talk. Meet me you know where at 24:00 tomorrow when you're not so distraught."

"Michael, everything you told me…was it all a lie? Do you even know anything about Pai?"

"Maybe. Meet me tomorrow and you'll see. No tricks, no games. I'll give you what you want. "

A bright light filled the area, blinding Misaki to the point where she had to cover her eyes. When she was finally able to open them again, John was gone, and BK-201 was the only killer left.

He looked over at her. "Are you all right?" he asked calmly.

Misaki nodded, still a bit in shock from what had just transpired.

BK-201 nodded. "Good. Don't follow me," he said, turning and walking away as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Misaki watched him, unable to move from her spot on the ground. She realized right then and there that she was so much more than a fool, if there was any such thing. All this time she had been trying to think that BK-201 was someone else…but she now knew who he was just as much as she knew who John was.

"_They had been arguing earlier---John-san said that Li-san was getting too soft and it was up to him to fix things---they fought…."_

Misaki understood now…but it did not make her sorrow evaporate into anything else. Instead it lingered to the point where she wanted to cry in frustration…but she didn't do that. She couldn't bring herself to break down now. She was too strong for that…

"Police woman! Are you all right?"

Misaki stood up on wobbly legs, looking down at a familiar, large German Shepherd. "Hook-san…"

Hook raised his ears. "I'm a 'san' now, eh? Large difference from before. Are you hurt?" the dog said, examining her with the scrutiny of an eagle.

"I'm fine…"

"Well, since I don't smell any blood I'll have to take your word for it." Hook sat down and scratched his ear with his hind leg.

Misaki walked over to her gun and switched on the safety. Some help it had been...

"I'm sorry about my partner. Thank God I managed to get Hei to---."

"Li-kun…is Hei, correct?" she said quietly.

Hook glanced up at her, his ears going back against his head. "Correct. I wondered when you would figure it out. It seems you're not so stupid after all, woman."

Misaki ignored his last remark. "Hook-san…why didn't you call me if you knew this was going to happen?"

"It's a long story. John did something to my transmission." Hook lifted his neck so a long brown collar was seen with a small dog tag the shape of a bone attached to it. "That kid is too damn clever for his own good."

"So that's your phone…"

Hook nodded. "And how I text you as well. I use my mind to do that. However, since that brat went and killed my transmission I've been unable to. I get a horrible headache if I even attempt it."

"I see…so that's why." Misaki looked up at the sky sadly.

"Sorry, Kirihara-san."

"Contractors can actually apologize?" she said, though her words came out a bit more vicious then she intended. All of this chaos had really shaken her up. Her emotional barrier felt like it was going to collapse any second.

"Of course we can. The thing is…do we really mean it?"

"If that's the case, then…are you simply saying 'sorry' because that just seems like the right thing to say?"

Hook shook his head. "No, I do mean it. Perhaps before I wouldn't have meant it, but ever since EPR appeared, a lot of Contractors have been feeling odd. We're starting to feel more human I suppose you could say. Even my rational judgment has been clouded lately."

Misaki glanced back down at the German shepherd. Hook watched her with a sort of calm that came with age. She was reminded of a tired old man rather than a dog, or even a cruel Contractor…

"I don't understand. Why would that be happening?"

"You're not supposed to understand. You're not a Contractor." Hook disappeared, reappearing much further away from her.

"You're a tough woman. I'm surprised you're not crying your eyes out after finding out the man you loved was a Contractor, and that your new friend is a tricky conniving snake in the form of a human." Hook turned his head, staring at Misaki intently with his muddy brown eyes so intently that she tried her absolute best not to break eye contact.

"I don't have the luxury of crying right now," she replied honestly. "Besides…I'd rather not do that in front of you."

Hook's face stayed poker blank. "Interesting. I see why Hei wants to protect you now."

Misaki looked away. She…she loved Li---or Hei, since that seemed to be the name everyone preferred using. She knew all along that she felt this way about him…but she had been in denial with herself because she was afraid to get close to him; afraid that he would get dragged into her busy and chaotic world. However, did Misaki still feel love towards him after finding out who he really was? That he was the cruel Black Reaper? Even if he had saved her more than once…did that change the fact that he killed people?

"Go home, Kirihara-san. When we need you again, we'll contact you. Remember, we still haven't helped you completely yet." Hook disappeared again.

"Wait!" she shouted, but the familiar old German shepherd did not reappear.

Misaki stared at the spot Hook had been a while before and sighed, closing her eyes as if to rest them. Why…did she have to get involved in this? "Li-kun…why…did you have to be the one person I need to catch?" she whispered, the wind blowing across her face as if trying to make her feel better. Too bad it wasn't doing much…

* * *

**A/N: **Weeell, secrets come out, but more mysteries spring up in their place. Misaki now knows that Li is BK-201, and she now knows who the man in the Tengu mask really is. Stay tuned next week for…lol, just kidding. xDDD I always felt like saying that. Seriously, the next chapter won't be up for a while. I'm trying to figure out how to type it down. 


	13. Chapter 13

_**Review Reply Corner:**_

**saks tales –** LoL, nope, no "kissu". xD I'm not even sure how I could incorporate it in the story really…

* * *

"Misaki…HELLO!" 

Misaki turned her head a little, frowning deeply as she gazed at Jun's annoyed expression. "Yes?"

"Can't you get your coffee any faster? Other people want some coffee too you know!" she huffed, crossing her arms.

Misaki sighed, moving away.

"What? No telling me off?"

"I'm not in the mood. Maybe later…"

"You know, you've been rather down today. What's wrong? Having problems with your boyfriend?" Jun giggled as she began to work on her coffee.

"Hmm…"

"'Hmm'? What the does that mean?"

"Hmm…"

"Uh…" Jun stopped, sitting her cup of coffee on the table. "Misaki…what's wrong?"

"Oh…it's nothing. Just a lot on my mind…"

"I'm suuure. So, is it true? Are you having problems with that Li guy? Did he say something to you?" Jun's eyes turned hard, a murderous expression crossing her pleasant face.

Misaki swore that if she could, she would probably have an anime style sweatdrop on her head. She hardly ever watched them, but she could definitely remember that one part from it. "No, Li-kun hasn't done anything to me."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Well…I'm just thinking about a case."

Jun watched Misaki with uncertainty, but eventually smiled. "Thinking about THAT again?" She sighed deeply, a gentle expression appearing on her face. "Do you want any help? I'm sure Saitou and---."

"No, that's all right. I can figure this out on my own. Besides, they're busy trying to look into Matsuda's past history."

"Oh, so that's where they were. So, do you think that woman had something to do with the death of the Vice President of Taisho?"

Misaki nodded, that familiar gleam of determination in her eyes. "That's right. There's something going on. I just know it!"

Jun laughed, grabbing her coffee and walking away. "Well, this isn't my element. I'll leave you to your thoughts then."

Misaki did not look to see if Jun left, all she did was stare vacantly at her coffee. She felt horrible lying to Jun…but she couldn't involve her---actually, she couldn't involve anyone. Just whispering what had happened yesterday would probably cost her life. She had almost lost it yesterday when she had been attacked by John---and through that experience of near death, she had discovered his true identity as well as BK-201. Though she hated to admit it, she felt oddly conflicted by this. She was a chief whose job was to find the truth in things right? So she shouldn't have felt so horrible. Those two were bound to get caught eventually…

Misaki played with the end of her ponytail, sipping her coffee. She grimaced. Even coffee didn't taste right today. She really was a wreck…

"_We'll call you." _Hook had said. What did he expect her to do? Point her small little handgun at Li and John telling them to stop or she'd shoot? They'd probably laugh in her face.

_What am I supposed to do?_ she thought. Better yet, the best question was, what COULD she do?

"I wonder why they're fighting…" she said aloud. What history did Li---Hei, and Michael have together? They were like brothers, and yet they were like enemies; almost like complete strangers of the other. She was not an expert on sibling-like relationships, but that surely did not sound healthy. It wasn't normal to want to kill your family…even if it was a makeshift one…

She sighed, sipping her coffee. She would have to forget about this for now. There was no need to kill herself over this. Hook would call her when she was needed…

With another long, drawn out sigh, she left the faculty room to head back to her office to finish her reports.

* * *

Misaki checked her cell phone many times, constantly waiting for Hook to send her a message, but to no avail. It was already 12:00 in the afternoon: the designated lunch time of the world. If she did receive a message Hook would have to wait until she had properly eaten. It wouldn't do for her to pass out from not eating well. 

"Well, I'm heading out," Jun said standing up and closing all her files. "Are you coming with me?"

Misaki yawned, rubbing her eyes. "What?"

"Geez, can you not hear today?" Jun giggled. "I asked if you were coming with me. It's lunchtime you know." She tapped her watch to emphasize what she had just said.

"Yes, I know…"

Jun blinked, tilting her head. "So…uh…aren't you coming?"

Misaki shook her head. "No, I'll stay here for a bit…"

Jun looked as if she had been expecting this answer because a sly smile grew on her face. "All right then…" Without another word uttered in Misaki's direction she left.

Misaki bit the end of her pen. It was a horrible habit of hers whenever she started getting too deep into her thoughts or when something was bothering her. She knew she was not going to be able to complete her assignment with her mind so flooded with chaotic thoughts…but she honestly did not want to stop her work. If she got it done now…

"K-Kirihara-san…"

Misaki stopped, looking up from her papers. "Hideo-kun? What are you doing here? Aren't you heading out to lunch?"

Hideo shifted nervously, a small blush appearing on his face. "I…I was wondering if you would like to come and eat out with me."

Misaki sat back in her chair; thinking. It was a rarity for Hideo to ever go out anywhere for lunch. Usually he stayed in his office and played video games, eating junk food he had accumulated in his desk drawer, or doing what seemed to be his favorite pastime; sleeping. Why had he picked her out of all the people who would have gladly went with him was beyond her. She had already refused Jun…so it wouldn't be right to leave with him. Misaki would rather not hurt her best friend's feelings.

"Um…no, I'm sorry, Hideo-kun. I have much work to do."

Hideo frowned. "Please Misaki, I really need to talk to you."

It was right then and there that she realized something was wrong. Hideo NEVER called her by her first name. He was just too polite to even bother. It was always "Kirihara-san."

"What's wrong?" she asked gently. Whatever was bothering the younger man obviously had to be something serious.

"I…I'll tell you after we eat lunch," he replied, watching her intently.

Misaki sat her pen down and nodded. "All right…"

Hideo sighed with relief and smiled. Misaki knew that smile was plastered on his face just out of sheer politeness…and that's what bothered her even more.

* * *

The restaurant Hideo had chosen was very nice, and quite expensive. The food was a bit heavy there as well, but it did taste quite exquisite. Misaki was not used to eating out at high class places due to her addiction of junk food. However, she was very pleased with everything, and made a mental note to come back to the restaurant whenever she had a chance. 

Hideo ate slowly, a conflicted look on his face as he scarfed his food down. Misaki had already finished ten minutes ago and honestly had nothing else to do but to watch him.

"Is it so strange to see me this way?" he asked, not looking up from his plate, humor leaking out of his voice like a faucet.

Misaki coughed politely. "Well…I don't see you much…but when I do you seem more…well…"

"Energetic, optimistic, and quite goofy, correct?"

"Y-Yes…if you must put it that way…" she replied a bit nervously.

Hideo chuckled.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Misaki asked, getting straight to the point as usual. She had no reason to beat around the bush.

Hideo sat his chopsticks down, clasping his fingers together as he regarded her. His expression looked somber; something that Misaki was truly not used to seeing.

"I'm going to quit the police force."

Misaki eye's widened. It took her more than ten seconds to truly grasp what he had said in her shock. "W-What?! Why?"

"I…It's not that I don't like it," Hideo said, holding his hands up as a poor attempt at protecting himself. "It's just…well…I love this country, but I miss America. I don't know anything about this place except from what I have read…which isn't much mind you. My mother was not much help…so it was rather difficult to learn the language and its customs on my own. Now that I've completed my dream and came to her native country…I…well…I just want to go home. I guess I should have just came here to visit rather than staying as long as I have."

Misaki frowned sadly. She never knew Hideo was so conflicted. He never showed any sign of being uncomfortable. _Or maybe I just never paid much attention, _she thought. It was true. She hardly ever paid attention to the younger man. Her mind was always on her job or on Li…

"Are you sure you want to leave, Hideo-kun? I could help you. Me, Kanami, and the others could all pitch together. Don't throw away your career here. You've been doing so well. The higher ups were even planning on promoting you."

Hideo smiled, but like John's, it was…empty. The smile seemed like it was glued on his face just to keep appearances up. Was this…the real Hideo she was seeing? Was everything she learned about him just a façade to hide his fear and anxiety?

"Yes, I believe I need to leave…at least for now. Maybe one day I'll come back…so…well…please remember me when that time comes, Kirihara-san. When I do return, I swear I'll be the best police officer Tokyo has ever seen." The look of utter determination on his face made Misaki chuckle, but she respected him all the same.

"I won't forget you. When you come back, be sure to show us just how good you've become."

Hideo nodded back. This time, he genuinely smiled. The fake smile had lit his face up, but his real smile made his whole being glow…or at least in Misaki's mind it did. "Thank you, Kirihara-san."

"When are you leaving?" she asked, tapping her nails against the table's hard surface.

"Three days from now."

Misaki instantly stopped. "T-Three days? Why so soon?"

"If I don't leave in that time period, then I'll never want to leave...which would be quite a problem since well, I need to…"

"Hideo-kun…" Misaki whispered.

Hideo picked up his chopsticks again, and resumed eating, or at least attempting to do so. He was struggling horribly with his chopsticks. Misaki wondered if she should tell him there were beginner's chopsticks he could use, but decided against it. She would only hurt his already fragile pride.

"When you're about to leave…can you call me? I would like to see you off."

Hideo stopped. Misaki wanted to squint her eyes to see what emotions were flickering across his face, but it was nearly impossible to tell. Hideo had covered up whatever he was feeling very well.

"Of course, Kirihara-san. I'd really like that."

Misaki was going to say more, but her phone vibrated, killing whatever conversation she planned on bringing up. Finally she had received what she had been waiting for all day; a call from Hook.

"I'll be right back, Hideo-kun. I'm getting a phone call."

Hideo simply nodded his head, poking at his food with his chopsticks in a poor attempt at picking it up again.

Misaki knew she wouldn't receive much privacy outside unless she went into an alleyway. She was against doing something as foolish as that, but she knew running off to the bathroom to talk to Hook was not the wisest of ideas. The restaurant was crowded right now, so more than likely the bathroom was too.

"What is it, Hook?"

"Hook?" came a feminine voice on the other end. Misaki tensed. Who was this?

"Uh…may I ask who this is?"

"Wendy. It's a pleasure to meet---erm, I mean, speak to you, Kirihara-san."

"Where's Hook?"

Wendy chuckled. "He's busy right now."

"I…see. Um…why did you call me?" Misaki really wanted to know how Hook's number magically appeared on a different phone, but she decided to simply throw that question out the window. It was not too important.

"I want to meet you."

"Is…that so?" Misaki asked, growing suspicious. Should she trust Hook's partner? She was used to the dog Contractor, not his team. "Why?"

"Just to talk."

"Just…to talk?"

"Just to talk," Wendy repeated happily.

That screamed suspicion, and as of late Misaki had been attacked quite often; too much for comfort. Death seemed to have a vendetta against her because it had been trying to claim her life for a month now.

"Are you going to try anything?"

Wendy laughed. "Heavens no. I don't want to hurt you. If I did, you'd be dead right about now. I never miss."

Misaki had no idea what Wendy meant by "I never miss," but she knew it wasn't good.

"All right. Where do you wish to meet?"

"Hmm…" Wendy said, a faint tapping heard on the phone. "How about the park? You know, where that old man was killed."

"Why…do you wish to talk there? Wouldn't…that be a disturbing area to have a conversation at?"

"It's closer to your location. That's the only reason. Besides, I'm not at all bothered by the fact that someone died in that park. Death is a part of life."

Misaki bit her lip. "A-All right. Give me a few minutes. I have company with me."

"Okay. Do take your time. There's no rush." A click was heard, and then faint beeps to signify an end to the conversation.

Misaki closed her phone and shoved it in her pocket. So, Wendy was going to explain things to her? Like what? Hook's team showed no motivation for trying to educate her on their escapades before; so why now? They were up to something…and Misaki was not sure whether she liked or disliked it.

With one more deep sigh, Misaki walked back into the restaurant as if nothing had happened and walked over to her table. Hideo was gone…which was odd. However, written a piece of paper lying on the table was a note that said, 'in the bathroom.'

Misaki smiled despite herself and sat back down, patiently waiting for the young man to return. Eventually he did, yawning and fixing his glasses as he took to his seat.

"Sorry, Kirihara-san, I had to use the restroom."

"It's quite all right, Hideo-kun."

Hideo nodded slowly, staring at his empty cup of tea in deep thought before he turned his eyes back towards Misaki. "Who was that on the phone?"

"A friend of mine. She wants to go and speak to me at the park."

"Oh, I see. Well, I don't want to keep you from meeting with her," he said standing up and yawning again. He looked extremely exhausted at the moment, as if he was going to pass out and sleep any moment.

"Are you all right?" Misaki asked, already getting up from her chair and walking towards the man.

Hideo held his hand up, stifling another yawn. "I'm fine, just a little tired."

"I can drive you back to headquarters if you want."

"No, no, no, Kirihara-san! I'll be fine, really! I was going to head back the Station anyway, but I needed to wait for you to come back before I did that."

Misaki smiled apologetically. "Sorry…"

"No worries." Hideo fixed his uniform, and was about to walk away, but stopped, looking over his shoulder. "Is there something you want to tell me, Kirihara-san?"

Misaki shook her head slowly. "No…not that I know of…"

Hideo watched her a little while longer before he nodded. "All right then. I'll see you back at headquarters. Please don't tell anyone about our conversation before…"

"I won't. You have my word."

Hideo grinned. "That means a lot to me. Thank you." With a nod in her direction, the young officer left.

Misaki watched him go for a while before she too began to leave the restaurant. Misaki should have felt paranoid considering a member of Hook's team wanted to have a "conversation" with her. However, for some reason, she was not at all bothered by this. She felt she could trust this Wendy girl. Sure Misaki's ability to read people had been…slacking as of late, but this time she was sure she was right.

_I wonder what is it this girl wants to say…_she thought as she stepped out the restaurant and walked towards her car.

**

* * *

****A/N: **I was going to add more, but thought against it. **-Rubs chin- **Instead of one more chapter, it seems there might be two more. That's just a might though. 

I wonder what Wendy plans on talking to Misaki about? **-nudges-**

Anywho! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added me to their alert lists. You guys are all awesome possums! Also, if any of you see any errors anywhere, don't be afraid to tell me. I'm a crazed perfectionist, but even I can't find everything.


	14. Chapter 14

Unlike Hook, it seemed Wendy was quite punctual. She didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that the foreign woman with long blonde hair was who she was supposed to meet. The woman looked at her, smiled and patted a spot next to her on the bench near a small pond.

Misaki sighed and looked around. Her cautious nature telling her to be alert despite the fact that the young woman said she would not do anything to her. Forcing a small smile, she walked over to the woman in question and sat down next to her as calmly as possible.

"Hello, Kirihara-san," she said happily as if finally getting a chance to speak to a long lost friend.

"Hello, Wendy."

The two were silent for a while before Wendy spoke up. "You'll have to forgive me, but my Japanese isn't the best…"

Misaki nodded gently. "It's all right. You're doing very well so far."

Wendy beamed at this. "I'm glad. I thought this was going to be a struggle, but thanks to Michael and Hook I was able to better it."

"You wanted to tell me something…" Misaki said cutting off whatever conversation could have grew out of those few words exchanged.

Wendy giggled. "Yes I did."

"I see. Well, what is it?"

Wendy yawned, stretching her arms out and slouching in her chair. She seemed quite bored and very much at ease despite the fact that she could be arrested at any moment. Then again, there was not much Misaki could have done to the woman if she happened to be a Contractor. Besides, she could have been "super-human," much like John was for all she knew.

"Want me to tell you a story?"

Misaki raised an eyebrow. A…story? Right then and there, she told herself that this girl was obviously quite insane… "W-what are you talking about?"

Wendy huffed. "You know what a story is don't you?"

"Of course I do," Misaki replied indignantly.

"Good. Answer yes or no. Your answer will determine my actions."

What Wendy had just said sounded rather confrontational. It was almost as if she was being bullied into either accepting this story that the foreign woman wanted to tell her, or face the consequences. "Is this story relevant to anything?"

"Does a story have to be?"

"I…I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."

"You won't, until you hear what I have to say," Wendy stated.

Misaki sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Very well. Tell me this story."

Wendy smiled, nodding with the enthusiasm of a child as she launched into her tale. "Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, there was a boy who was trained in the art of killing by a group of nobles. He had killed countless people, even children within his own division to prove that he was worthy of not becoming just a ghost to these high ranking people…"

"What? Where is this going?"

"Shh," Wendy hissed, waggling her index finger. "Listen."

Misaki sighed for what felt like the tenth time and nodded.

When Wendy was sure that Misaki was not going to interrupt anymore she continued on. "So, one day, these nobles bought a potion from a very powerful sorcerer. This potion was said to give people the strength of a bear and the speed of rabbit. Naturally these nobles decided to test this potion on ten of their most gifted servants. What they did not know was that this potion was highly addictive, and would drive its user to the brink of insanity. Also, it seemed that after a while, the user's life would be cut to almost nothing each time they used it. The potion put such a huge strain on the servants bodies, that only one survived the ordeal; the boy."

Misaki's eyes narrowed. She had a feeling there was a point to this story, some hidden agenda to Wendy telling her this, but she could not for the life of her figure out what it was that she was supposed to derive from this. "A question, Wendy…"

"Hm?"

"When you say 'brink of insanity' what do you mean?"

Wendy smiled. "The pain that came when one did not drink their potion was unbearable."

"So…it was extreme withdrawal?"

Wendy's smile widened and she nodded again. Misaki wanted to ask more, but she had no chance as the woman continued with her story. "I better keep going before I forget about this…" Wendy replied, rubbing her arm as if cold. "Anyway, years later, a large war between many countries happened, and these nobles sent two of their agents to spy and see what the others were up to. The boy, now much older, was one of them…

The two agents had done their jobs quite well…until they bumped into people from a rival country. Using every bit of cunning the two agents had acquired from their training, they joined with these four people in order to use them. Of course, the enemy agents were just as crafty and used them as well.

As time went by…the young man and an enemy agent became close allies, something that was simply out of the question. As such, the young man was given orders by the leader of his group to kill the rival countries most prized agent…"

Misaki tried her best not to interrupt, but she was somewhat lost. This sounded familiar… "Why would they want to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Kill that prized agent?"

Wendy chuckled. "Because it would make the rival country angry of course. The two rivals love to do that you see. They're too scared to fight one another, but they're not against causing the other harm in underhanded ways."

"If that's the case why are they using one another?"

"Aren't all powerful organizations and countries always using each other for more power?" Wendy stated boredly.

"Yes but…"

"Then you have your answer," Wendy interrupted with slight annoyance. "My goodness...Hook was right."

Misaki frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Hm? Where was I? Hmm…oh yes! I really do need to hurry…" Wendy said, completely ignoring Misaki as she continued, but her speed was faster now. "Reluctantly, the young man did as he was told. He got the agent somewhere where they would not be watched and attempted to kill him. However, the agent knew this would happen, and thus acted accordingly. Using the skills taught to him by his country, he used a wire to strangle his opponent. It was brutal or so the tale says, but in the end, the agent could not truly kill his friend. At the last minute, he pulled his wire back, allowing the young man to survive the ordeal.

Eventually, the young man's ally appeared in hopes that she could stop the fight. Of course it was already over, so there was not much to stop. The agent told the young man's ally to take care of him, and to keep away from the agent and his group from now on, or he would have no choice but to kill them. The young man's ally agreed and did just that.

After all this…the young man and his ally were called back to the base, leaving the war torn country alone. This was the day the stars fell, and the war torn country become uninhabitable…"

Misaki felt as if she had been slapped in the face. This story did have relevancy! Wendy had told it in a fairytale type fashion…which was odd, but she knew that this story was about John and Hei. She had no idea who the other people were; however she did know that it was those two who Wendy was emphasizing.

"You're talking about the South American conflict?"

Wendy nodded, looking quite bored again. "I have a terrible memory, but I do remember this much. I've lied to Hei about it a couple of times…so he probably thought I truly did not remember who he was or where I saw him before. Hmph, silly man…"

"Those two people you were talking about…were John and Hei." Misaki stated that rather than said it as a question. She knew the answer, but she just wanted to hear it from the strange young woman.

"Correct. I was also there. Hook was the one passing information to us via through a headset. This was before he lost his body through…unfortunate circumstances…"

"And the three agents on Hei's side?"

"The three agents that were with Hei were Pai, Amber, and Havoc, whom I believe you have met before."

Misaki gasped, her eyes quickly landing on the pond before her. She knew the other two but…who was Pai?

Wendy as if sensing her thoughts, answered. "Pai is an agent who was very close to Hei. That's all I will tell you. The rest you will either have to hear from him, or you'll have to do a bit of information digging to find it." With that said, the young woman stood up, stretched and attempted to walk away.

"W-Wait a minute!"

Wendy stopped, turning and tilting her head to the side. "Yes?"

"Why did you tell me this? I could use this information against you!"

"And who would you tell?"

Misaki sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose again. She couldn't tell anyone. No one would believe her. The Chief, maybe, but no one else knew anything about her relationship with Hei and this strange organization. "No one…"

"That is correct."

"You…you never told me why you were telling me about this…"

Wendy crossed her arms and glanced at the sky. "Well, since my memory is so fragile, I thought it was best you remembered for me. I'm sure John would have wanted you to know about him at least."

"You make it sound as if I'm not going to see him again."

At this, Wendy looked back at Misaki, a very thoughtful expression on her face. It made the woman look much wiser than she had appeared earlier with her childish tale and antics. She now seemed conniving and much older than she had appeared. "Who knows?" With a wave, she turned and finally walked away. "When we need you, we'll call you!" she shouted.

Misaki watched her go, sighing when the woman was gone, and laying down on the bench listening to the gentle chirp of birds and the melodic sloshing of water going back and forth in a repetitive dance. Her question about John and Hei had been answered…but what was she going to do with this information besides simply storing it in her brain? Was there some hidden reason for Wendy telling her this besides the joy of telling?

_Stop thinking, Misaki. Just relax for a while…_her thoughts told her. For once, she didn't ignore them.

* * *

The whole time Misaki was at work, all she could think about was when Hook or even Wendy would call her. She kept glancing at her clock nervously. Each time she did, she felt as if time was going by slowly. It would take forever for midnight to come if she kept this up…but what could she do?

"Kirihara-san…"

Misaki glanced up, staring into the happy-go-lucky face of Hideo.

"You're not in your office?"

Hideo blinked, tilted his head and then burst into a quiet fit of laugher. "Wow, it's nice to see you as well."

Misaki blushed furiously. "N-No that's not…what I mean is...w-well…"

Hideo waved his hands. "It's all right. I was just playing with you."

Misaki coughed trying to destroy the blush that still clung to her cheeks. "I-I see. Well then, can I help you?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to make sure you were still awake." He chuckled as if he had made the funniest joke in the world.

"You know I don't fall asleep on the job."

"I know…but well, you seem really tired."

"No, it's all right. I'm fine."

Hideo nodded slowly. "Well then…uh…here a folder I have for you concerning that case you're looking into."

Misaki yawned, leaning forward and grabbing the vanilla folder. It wasn't thick at all…which was suspicious. She looked up at Hideo, frowning. "Uh…"

"They're light, I know. I don't recommend you reading what's in those files until you leave the office. It would be folly to do so right now."

"What…is there…?" Misaki looked around, trying to appear casual, "Is there something I'm not supposed to know in these?"

"Something that could cost both our jobs." Hideo smiled.

"I see…it's that classified, huh?"

"Correct."

Misaki nodded. "Very well. I'm about to leave for now anyway…"

"Good, so am I." Hideo smiled again and slowly left the room.

"What…have I gotten myself into now…" she said to herself, leaning back in her chair and letting out a deep sigh. Things certainly were chaotic. Misaki wondered if she would even survive all of this still unscathed. She certainly hoped so.

* * *

Misaki left at her usual time, it would have been peculiar if she had left any earlier. After all, everyone knew she loved to work. That was who she was, a worker. Thankfully, she looked rather tired so no one stopped to talk to her as she left. Usually Jun would be the one to do that…but she had left much earlier under the pretense that she was feeling unwell and might have had food poisoning from the restaurant she had gone to. Misaki wanted to believe her…but something at the back of her mind told her that it was a lie.

In all honesty, Misaki was starting to feel like a lie detector. She couldn't even talk to someone without feeling suspicious of them anymore…

Sighing, she unlocked the door to her car and stepped in, simply sitting in it and staring up at the fake stars in the sky. Was she supposed to solve this case? Was it her place to get involved in something as deep as this? It was a duty yes…but just how far did that duty go?

"You're being silly, Misaki…" she told herself. Her gaze slowly fell on the manila folder. She had almost forgotten about it…

She sighed, leaning over to pick it up, and simply stared at it. Should she look at its contents? Was she going too far with this investigation? She shook such thoughts out of her head. It was her job to get to the truth! "I must not doubt myself…" she said with newfound strength.

As soon as she opened the folder, her eyes instantly landed on red text.

_Dear Misaki,_

_Go to Sukoshi Park near midnight. You'll find what you want there. It pertains to that case you're studying into. _

_All right, actually I want to talk to you in person. I didn't put anything in that manila folder because well…it's better to talk about these things face to face. See you there!_

_Your friend, Hideo_

_P.S Haha, you thought this was going to be a highly important letter too didn't you? Shame on you for assuming! I bet you look hilarious right now, haha. XD_

Misaki re-read the letter again and again before she burst into a fit of laughter. Here she was panicking for no reason. Misaki leaned back in her chair letting out a puff of air. All the dread she felt at the moment flew away and out the window.

Misaki pulled back her sleeve, staring at her watch. It was 23:30…almost midnight. She would be called eventually…she hoped anyway. If not, she was determined to find where Hei and Michael were supposed to be meeting. She would find a way to stop whatever conflict was sure to develop, even if she had to put her life in danger to do so.

"You're being silly…" she mumbled to herself as she closed the manila folder she would have to give the Chief tomorrow. Perhaps she was, but she honestly did not wish to see any more conflict between the two men…

With a sigh, she turned her key, and started the car. She would talk to Hideo, and then quickly find Hei and Michael. It was foolish, and it seemed awfully pointless…but she wanted to try. She was just that type of person.

* * *

Whew, sorry for the looooong update, lol. I've have major writer's block, not to mention college and video games and just about anything else I can think of, have been keeping me busy. xD

This isn't the last chapter obviously. I thought it would be best to just update what I had. So sorry if you guys think it's crap, because I did try really hard. x.x;;

Well, R&R! Tell me what you guys think, and I love all of you for still sticking with me. You're awesome! Now to get to work on my other fanfic...v.v;;


	15. Oh noez

**-Gasps-** No new chapter?! Rofl I'm so evil! xD 

Anywho, I'm just putting this here to tell everyone….I'm still alive guys! Your messages begging me to update have not been ignored.

As of late, I've been an absolute bum and haven't been working as hard on this final chapter as I should. That, and the fact that I'm nervous as to how I'm going to do this. I have everything planned out, but typing it has proven to be a challenge. I swear when it comes to final chapters in anything, I go completely brain dead. xD I still have another fanfic I'm supposed to be doing the final chapter for too, lol. 

Sooo, if you can bring it upon yourselves to harass me into working every now and then, I'll get this done in no time.

Ah yes, and thank you, THANK you to everyone who has reviewed or added me to their favorites, ect. You guys are absolutely awesome, and it's because of you that I'm trying so hard to make this last chapter excellent. Seriously, I love you guys. -

--Wayra--


	16. Chapter 15

To all the reviewers…zomg I love you all! XD I don't think I can thank you guys enough, which is why I'm still saying I love you, rofl. Usually I have a section devoted to replying to people who haven't signed in when they reviewed, but I'd have to go pretty far to review for everyone so…I'm just going to stick with thanking everyone as a whole.

Anywho, I bet you guys are like "shut up already", so onwards to the final chapter! **-fangirl scream-**

* * *

Misaki had did just as Hideo said. She went to the designated area and waited patiently for him to appear. She had noticed that lately, this was all she had been doing; waiting and relying on people to give her information. She had also noticed…it was times like this where she got herself in trouble.

The little nagging voice at the back of her head did not try and warn her away this time though…so did that mean things were fine? If so, why did she feel so nervous? No, nervous wasn't the right word. She felt excited; excited because she was finally going to get some information on this whole case. All that was hidden in the shadows would be brought to the light. It was a cliché way of thinking, but wasn't that what was going to happen?

Misaki glanced down at her watch. It was almost time.

_How long will this take?_ she thought. Hopefully not too long…

"Hello, Kirihara-san!"

She jumped slightly, glancing over her shoulder. "Ah, Hideo-kun…you're a bit late."

"So sorry. You seem like you're in a hurry, so I'll make this quick." He smiled.

For some reason, this smile didn't make her feel any better.

"I'll be heading away soon as I have told you it…that's why…that's why I'm going to tell you as much as I know."

"Hideo-kun, you're…"

"Yes, I am a member of the TRF. I think you figured that out a while back, didn't you? I'm surprised you didn't act."

Misaki looked at the ground. True. She had realized who Hideo was a long time ago, but…she had grown a bit close too him and hadn't said anything. Once again, she acted in a very unprofessional manner. But, even if she had acted and arrested him, that wouldn't have made things any better. She would have lost a valuable ally in her quest to capture Hei.

"Arresting you would have been foolish."

Hideo grinned. "Correct. It most certainly would have been. Now then…you want to know where Hei and Michael will be don't you?"

Misaki looked up, nodding fiercely.

"All right..." Hideo looked at his watch. "I wish I could tell you more, but that must wait until another time. Misaki, do you trust me?"

"I…well…" she sighed. Did she? Could she? Hideo was a member of a dangerous crime syndicate. This was like a mouse trusting the word of a snake that it would not eat him after they escaped a trap together. Trusting the snake would be suicide…and yet, what other option did the mouse have? "I will be honest, I do not."

Hideo laughed. "Very good. That's what I wanted to hear. Well then, will you come with me? We'll take your car and head to the designated area."

"And the catch for this is?"

"You'll see."

"I'll see…" Misaki repeated quietly. Hideo nodded, that fake smile appearing on his face once again. "You really have me trapped, don't you?"

"Oh no, I'm giving you many options to leave. However, once you leave, everything is over."

Misaki sighed and closed her eyes. What choice did she have? She needed Hideo to find Hei and Michael. "Hideo-kun, are you with Hook and Wendy?"

"That's right."

"I thought as much. Very well…I put my life in your hands, though I hope nothing happens to that said life." She glared at him.

He simply chuckled. "A deal is deal, right? Hook did say we'd help you if you helped us, didn't he?"

Misaki nodded stiffly.

"Well, let us start keeping our end of the bargain, shall we?" Hideo held out an outstretched hand, waiting patiently for Misaki to grab it.

She didn't really want to…but what could she do? If Misaki disagreed…she would never know what was transpiring between Hei and Michael. Without another thought, she took his hand.

* * *

Hideo yawned looking out the window as he pointed out directions to where they were supposed to be headed.

Misaki didn't show it, but she was quite uncomfortable having a Contractor in her car; and sitting next to her at that.

"Hideo-kun…"

"Call me Peter."

"Uh…Peter-kun then…"

Hideo, now Peter, chuckled and shook his head.

"What is your power, I wonder? I mean, you are a Contractor right?"

Peter was a bit silent, but he did answer eventually. "You're a trustworthy woman so I will tell you. My power is incredible intuition."

"Incredible intuition? Is that way you were always so brilliant compared to everyone else?"

"Perhaps. Then again, it could just be that they weren't as brilliant as they thought they were. I rely solely upon common sense and numerical data. However, numerical data can be wrong--take a left."

Misaki turned a corner. "I see…well, do you have anything to say about what will happen between the two assassins?"

"I'd say there's a high percent chance that their will be a death; about ninety-nine percent."

"And who fits into this percentage?"

Peter looked over at her, frowning slightly. "Does it matter?"

"I…well…"

"You shouldn't care about the well being of assassins, Kirihara-san." Peter sounded less cold with this statement. It was almost as if he was admonishing her…

"I will continue to do so," she snapped. "The law is meant to be just and fair, and that's what I will be."

Peter was silent again, except for the small sigh he let out. "Take another left when you get to that intersection."

Misaki nodded.

The rest of the ride for the most part was quiet, minus Hideo talking into the phone; most likely having a conversation with Hook by the way he teased whoever was on the other line by calling them, "old man," and various other things.

"Here we are."

Misaki stopped her car, looking up a large abandoned building. It looked like it had been through a fire by the looks of the charred metal. Her eyes roved over the area a bit longer until she heard Peter stepping out the car.

"Coming, Kirihara-san?" he asked gently.

She sighed, cutting the engine to her car, and stepping out as well. "It's awfully quiet," she said, looking around again. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

"That's because they must not be here yet. That serves to our advantage." Peter took out his cell phone, sending a text message out.

"How can you be sure they're not?"

"It's obvious. Two dangerous assassins in the same place often results in quite a bit of racket. Believe me, I know from experience. You yourself should know better than anyone."

Misaki thought back to the conflict with Wei, and a few others she was able to witness…but those were battles between Contractors. This was going to be a fight between a normal human and one. She had seen that Michael was in fact troublesome to Hei…but was that only because Hei resisted killing him? Did the Contractor actually go all out against him?

"Kirihara-san, Michael is just as tough as Hei…" Peter said, smiling genuinely at her as if sensing her thoughts. His glasses had a sharp glare on them from the countless street lights near the building, making it impossible for her to read his eyes. All she had to go on was that smile...

However…those lights did not stay on for long. Very suddenly, they shut off without a warning, putting the whole area in pitch darkness.

"And now it begins…"

Misaki could feel her cell phone vibrate. Quickly she threw it open.

_Kirihara-san, our end of the bargain will be carried out, though probably not the way you really want it. For that, we are sorry, but there is nothing we can do. Please come inside with Peter, and don't be too difficult._

_Hook_

Misaki did not have time to process this information before Peter took out a flashlight and gently grabbed her arm. "Let's go, Misaki."

With a slight nod, she allowed herself to be led inside…

Peter led her up two flights of stairs and then stopped, sighing. "Misaki…I honestly wish this didn't have to be done…"

"Hmm? What are you talking about?" The fact that Peter was switching back and forth between her last name, and her first name was making her a bit nervous.

"Nothing at all. Just think of this as a Contractor losing his mind."

Misaki didn't say anything back as they continued up the stairs. Something told her it was best to let sleeping dogs lie, despite her detective's intuition that kept screaming at her to continue questioning Peter.

After going up ten flights of stairs, they eventually made it to the top. Sitting in front of the stairs was Hook, wagging his tail, and staring at her with a blank expression only a dog could master.

"Hook-san…"

"Hello there, Kirihara-san. This will be our last meeting it seems. I did greatly enjoy pestering you, but it seems all good things must come to an end, eh?"

"You did enjoy that too much," Misaki replied, smiling grimly.

Hook bared his fangs in what must have been a mock smile before he turned his gaze down the hallway. "The two idiots aren't here yet, well one is, but not the other."

"And the other is the Reaper," Peter said.

"Correct."

"Where's, Wendy?"

Hook looked out a window.

"Ah, I see."

Misaki looked back and forth between the two. Were they up to something?

As if sensing her thoughts, Peter turned to her, smiling. "Kirihara-san, you can trust us not to do anything to you."

"Oh no…I know the both of you won't do anything. What bothers me is the fact that you all seem like you're planning something…"

Hook titled his head. If he were a normal dog, this expression would have looked adorable…but Misaki knew him too well. He was a cunning old man in the form of a dog and nothing more. He wasn't some magical beast who learned the tongue of man. No…he was just an old man whose soul just so happened to get trapped in the body of humans most trusted companion.

"And what, Kirihara-san, makes you think that?"

"It's just…the way the both of you are acting…"

Peter shook his head. "You're being awfully insightful today."

Misaki wasn't sure if Peter was insulting her, or complimenting her. However, it was best to not dwell on this. She wouldn't have had a chance anyway, because the next thing she knew, there was a loud explosion near their floor.

"W-What?!" she yelled, almost losing her balance.

"Well it seems things have begun," Hook mumbled, his ears perking up.

Misaki gasped, taking out her gun and rushing for the flight of stairs that would lead to the last floor, but as quickly as she took her gun out, it was shot out of her hand.

She tensed, her gaze slowly shifting to a small hole in the window next to her, a clear indication of sniper activity. The aim was so insanely accurate despite how dark it was inside the building and out, that Misaki knew no normal human could have shot that bullet.

"Sorry, Kirihara-san. You're going to be acting on our terms. No heroics for you," Peter said, sighing.

"I…why are you doing this?! Don't you want to help, John?!"

Hook's tail wagged. "Haha, she's still calling him that. A word from the wise Kirihara-san, discard that name. He most certainly has. Now to answer your question…we cannot help him. He knows what he's doing. Besides, it is the most rational decision in this situation."

"What are you talking about?" Misaki growled. Soon another explosion could be heard, but it was a bit farther away. Pieces of dirt and debris gently fell from the ceiling unto the cold hard floor.

Peter smiled, but it was empty and completely devoid of any sort of emotion. In a way, it was the smile of one who seemed very tired, and could careless about the what direction the world went in…"Come along. You'll probably hear something worthwhile."

Misaki bit her lip and allowed herself to be lead up another two flights of stairs with Hook on her heels like a faithful hound protecting its master.

When they reached a door at the top that lead out onto the top of the building, Peter stopped, standing in front of it. "Kirihara-san…our end of the deal will now officially be completed. The reason for us keeping you busy downstairs was for two reasons."

Misaki looked away, glaring at the wall. Anything would be better than looking at Hideo…no, Peter's apathetic expression.

"One reason," Hook said, stepping in, "was to keep you busy. We wasted time so Michael and Hei could fight."

"Two, was because there was something the both of them were going to talk about that you must not overhear…not yet anyway," Peter added.

"You…you held me back so I wouldn't stop them…"

"Correct. If we had come earlier, there was a ninety-nine percent chance you would act the hero and rush into the conflict to prevent it."

"And in the process," Hook said, "would have gotten killed. That would have defeated the purpose in our helping you."

Misaki bit her bottom lip, her eyes getting blurry. "Why…why are you all so determined to fulfill this bargain?"

Peter smile suddenly changed from emptiness, to one of geniality. "Isn't that what allies are for?"

The sound of a cell phone ringing cut through the air like a knife. Peter took it out, his eyes roving over words Misaki knew she'd never see.

"I…" A gun pointed a gun at her face stopped whatever else she planned on saying. Gone was that friendly smile. In its place was a cold frown.

"Kirihara, that's enough." Peter glanced down at Hook quickly. The dog nodded and then jumped through the door like a ghost.

A few seconds passed before the sound of a cell phone going off came back.

"All right, you can go."

"I…what…"

Peter put his gun back inside his shirt. "Go ahead. We will no longer stop you."

Misaki did not waste any time in rushing past Peter and out that door. She didn't have to go far to find where Michael and Hei were. The carnage and destruction that surrounded them only made her wonder just how violent their fight had been.

Chunks of the building were lying around the two figures, and blood was splattered across the cemented ground like flowers.

"M…Michael…" she said, stopping a good deal away from the two assassins.

"Not yet, Kirihara-san," Hook said, appearing next to her.

Michael was still standing, but barely. Blood was pouring from numerous wounds unto the ground, but the man didn't seen to be too fazed by them. The Black Reaper…he looked the same as he usually did; flawless. The only wound he had was on his leg and arm. He had blood on his cold white mask, making him fit the part of death itself.

"Not bad, Hei…not bad at all. It's good that you stopped holding back," Michael said, chuckling.

Hei was silent for a while before he spoke, but his tone was cold, and full of fury. "Why?"

"Why what…di di?"

"Why did you do all this? Why did you lie to me?"

Michael laughed, staggering a bit. Even someone as strong as him would die of blood loss eventually. "I didn't. I told you the truth, but not the way you wanted to hear it. You were never too bright…"

Hei grabbed him by his collar, their faces close.

Misaki was tempted to take out her gun and run over to stop them, but a fierce growl next to her told her not to.

"Listen," the old dog snarled, and thus that is what she did…she listened.

"This whole time…you were deceiving me," Hei snapped, shaking the other assassin like a rag doll.

"True, I used you, and you used me. Isn't that how syndicates work, di di? Besides…Amber made it clear you were not meant to know yet."

"So she got to you too, did she?"

Michael laughed again, but this time, his laugh was much weaker than it had been before. "You'd be surprised just how unjustified your hatred for that woman is. You're too emotional. A Contractor like you…it's unheard of. Are you really one? Or…are you pretending?"

Silence filled the air, making Misaki tense as if something dreadful was about to happen.

"Di di…your foolishness knows no bounds, and that's why I pity you…"

When Hei finally spoke again, his voice was softer. "Your attacks were weaker, and a bit hesitant…"

Michael coughed, grabbing Hei's wrist. "So they were…"

"You wanted to die…"

"So I did," Michael stated bluntly as if this was the most normal conversations two assassins ever talked about. "What better way to spend the last days of your violent life…in an exciting battle?"

Hook's tail wagged slightly, slapping Misaki on the leg. She looked down at him, her gaze remorseful. The dog may have been unable to show any sort of feeling, but she could tell that the old man inside wanted to say something, wanted to show how he felt rather than being a stoic statue. What held him back? Misaki would never know, nor truly understand.

"And," Hei continued, "you didn't take your pills…"

At this, Michael laughed uproarously. "Yes…that's right. I wanted to see what chance I had against the famous Black Reaper without using that drug. It was…interesting…"

"Idiot…" Hei said, but it was a bit sad.

"Haha…dramatic deaths are cliché...which isn't my style at all. Heh, even this damn profession won't let me die the way I want to." Michael shoved Hei's hands away, but that seemed to be the last ounce of strength he had before he backwards onto the ground.

"John!" Misaki called. She couldn't watch this anymore! She refused to do it! Not waiting to see if she was given the ok to go to him from Hook, she ran towards the two assassins.

Hei looked up at her, and then down at Michael one last time as if to say a farewell. "Take care of him," he said with a glance at Misaki, before turning away from his old ally and running away, jumping off the building with a sort of ease only one who was used to such a thing could do.

"Wait!" she called. _Li-kun! Don't go!_ Her thoughts screamed. Despite this…she never voiced them, nor did she call his name. All her attention now became focused on getting Michael medical care.

Quickly she fell on her knees next to him, examining his wounds. "I can…I can patch this up. You'll be fine…" It was a lie she knew. But even lies themselves could serve as a sort of comfort at times.

"Ah…Misaki...hello there. It's a nice night isn't it? The stars are twinkling."

Misaki looked up at the stars. "Yes…yes they are."

"The time is coming you know…"

Misaki bit back a sob. She couldn't cry. It was unprofessional…it…it wasn't her. Crying wasn't something she had the luxury of doing. "What time?"

Michael's eyes slowly began to close. "Be careful, Misaki. You're in too deep you know."

"What do you mean?" she asked, though she had a feeling the dying man wouldn't be straightforward.

"You're not meant to know yet. Don't tell Sayu…" was all he said before his eyes closed forever, and that gentle voice of his was gone, never to be heard by others again.

She told herself tears were weak and unneeded for a detective of her caliber, that tears would just make her feel things that were unnecessary for her mission, but just this once, she decided to ignore that, and cried softly. This could not have been prevented, she knew. However, that didn't make things any better…

"It's over. Mission successful," she heard Hook say as his paws pads thudded against the ground, the sound going farther and farther away.

Misaki didn't bother to look up and call the old dog back, because she didn't want to be seen.

When Hook was gone, her cell phone vibrated. Slowly, she took it out to read one final message…

_Our bargain's done, and our mission is complete. You got a corpse of an assassin, so now at least one case for you is over. Thank you for your help, Kirihara-san. Be sure to call the police so Michael's body can be properly taken care of. _

_Hook_

Despite the pain she was feeling, Misaki texted him back.

_What was this mission?_

As soon as it was sent, Hook quickly replied.

_To kill two birds with one stone. We'd help push BK-201 towards Amber and we'd corrupt him away from the Syndicate, both of which are our organizations wishes. Once this message is read, delete it, and never text this number again._

And she didn't…and never did ever again.

Her tears had dried up now, though she wished she could cry a bit more to show Michael just how much she cared about his well being…but now it was time to go back to her role as an officer of the law…

She dialed the number to headquarters and called for a dispatch team. Saitou and the others would question her, but she'd only say one thing.

I came too late.

* * *

**Author note: **For those who forgot, "di di" is Chinese for "little brother."


	17. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Just like he promised, Hideo…or Peter, completely disappeared a few days later as if he had never existed to begin with. Misaki never did get to say that goodbye…

Like sand between her fingers, he slipped through, never to be seen by her eyes, or anyone who wasn't involved in his organization, ever again. She had gone to numerous airports in the area, asking if they had seen him, but they had told her that no one fitting her description had ever boarded their airline.

Now, she was sitting in a park, staring up at the clouds in the sky, and thinking like she always did. Even though Michael's death had been a just a few days ago, she was still thinking about his comrades and other things she should have let go…like Li-kun...

She avoided the man like the plague, knowing that it was best to not speak to him for a while. It hurt her to avoid him like this, but…would she feel any better if she spoke to him now?

"Misaki-san!"

Misaki looked up, watching Sayu run over with a dog that looked suspiciously like Hook. "Hello, Sayu-chan. How are you today?"

"I'm fine! Just got off from work, hehe."

Misaki smiled. Sayu was such a ray of sunshine for her right now. "Where did you find that dog?"

Sayu looked down at the beast in question, gently stroking its head. "I just found him over by the airport. Apparently the dog is a stray that the airline people have been feeding. He's like a mascot." She giggled when the dog licked her hand.

"What's his name?"

"Hmm…don't know. The people at the airport decided to call him Inu-san. I think it fits him quite well."

Misaki reached down, gently patting the dog on the head. "Yes, I think that name matches as well."

Sayu beamed. "Say, Misaki-san, have you seen John? I've been unable to find him lately."

Misaki sighed, leaning back in on the bench. "He went back to America. John and Li-kun just couldn't get along, and I guess the man gave up any hope in staying here anymore." Her ability to lie with a straight face now frightened her…

"Ah…I thought as much…" Sayu whispered. "I had a feeling he'd go back. He had been complaining about how hard it was to get a decent job here for a while…"

"Hmm…" Misaki looked at the sky again.

A sharp bark from the dog next to Sayu ended whatever words could have been exchanged.

"Haha, it seems Inu-san is tired of standing still. Well, it's time for me to continue my morning jog. I'll talk to you later!" Sayu turned and began to sprint away. However, the dog that had been following her, watched Misaki intently.

"Hook-san?" Misaki whispered, reaching for him.

Quickly the dog turned and ran off after its master, leaving the police woman alone on her bench, in the middle of an empty park, on a windy day.

Suddenly her cell phone vibrated. With a sigh she flipped it open. HQ was probably calling her back. However…what she saw made her smile.

_It's nice to see you again. Don't let work be your life._

_An old dog_

Misaki smiled, getting off the park bench, and walking back towards her car. Something told her she was going to be very very busy today.

* * *

**Author note: **Whew, finally I'm done. I put my heart and soul into these last two chapters, so please do tell me what you thought of them. And no, no romancing with Li-kun and Misaki in these. XD

It just would have been awkward considering all that had been going on. Besides, the whole "zomg the stars are falling" fiasco was coming up from the episodes (those of you who have watched the whole anime know what I'm talking about). Bleh…listening to "No One's Home" on the DTB soundtrack and writing this is a major emotional roller coaster…

Anywho, once again, thank you guys so much! I don't think this story would have been such a success if it wasn't for all of you!


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